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C-reactive protein and alcohol consumption: Is there a U-shaped association? Results from a population-based study in Russia. The Arkhangelsk study.

Averina M, Nilssen O, Arkhipovsky VL, Kalinin AG, Brox J

Institute of Community Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Tromsø, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway. Maria.Averina@ism.uit.no

BACKGROUND: Little is known about association between markers of inflammation and alcohol consumption in Russian population where binge drinking pattern is prevalent. METHODS AND RESULTS: C-reactive protein was measured by a highly sensitive particle-enhanced immunoturbidimetric assay (hsCRP) in 1963 men and 1734 women, aged 18-90 years, in a population-based cross-sectional study. Total alcohol consumption consisted mainly of binge vodka intake. A revealed U-shaped association between hsCRP and total alcohol intake was due to high hsCRP levels in ex-drinkers. Ex-drinkers of both sexes were older and reported more diseases than non-abstainers. This U-shaped association became non-significant in both sexes after adjustment for age, BMI, smoking status, diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular medication. When analysis was performed separately only for non-abstainers, hsCRP showed a positive linear association with total weekly alcohol consumption and with weekly vodka consumption in both sexes. CONCLUSIONS: The U-shaped association between hsCRP and weekly alcohol consumption was due to higher hsCRP levels in ex-drinkers than in non-abstainers. Factors other than the current level of alcohol consumption might be responsible for high hsCRP levels in ex-drinkers. When abstainers were excluded from analyses, the results indicated a pro-inflammatory effect of binge alcohol consumption in non-abstainers.

Published 4 September 2006 in Atherosclerosis, 188(2): 309-15.
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