Dose-dependent association of alcohol consumption with obesity and type 2 Diabetes

Effects of modest alcohol consumption remain controversial. Mendelian randomization (MR) can help to mitigate biases due to confounding and reverse causation in observational studies, and evaluate the potential causal role of alcohol consumption.
A study evaluated dose-dependent effect of alcohol consumption on obesity and type 2 diabetes. Assessing 408,540 participants of European ancestry in the UK Biobank, the association between self-reported alcohol intake frequency and 10 anthropometric measurements, obesity, and type 2 diabetes were tested. MR analyses were then conducted both in the overall population and in subpopulations stratified by alcohol intake frequency.
Among individuals having more than 14 drinks per week, a 1-drink-per-week increase in genetically predicted alcohol intake frequency was associated with a 0.36-kg increase in fat mass (SD = 0.03 kg), a 1.08-fold increased odds of obesity (95% CI, 1.06-1.10), and a 1.10-fold increased odds of type 2 diabetes (95% CI, 1.06-1.13). These associations were stronger in women than in men. Furthermore, no evidence was found supporting the association between genetically increased alcohol intake frequency and improved health outcomes among individuals having 7 or fewer drinks per week.
The researchers conclude that, in contrast to observational associations, MR results suggest there may not be protective effects of modest alcohol consumption on obesity traits and type 2 diabetes. Heavy alcohol consumption could lead to increased measures of obesity as well as increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Source: Lu T, Nakanishi T, Yoshiji S, Butler-Laporte G, Greenwood CMT, Richards JB. Dose-dependent Association of Alcohol Consumption With Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes: Mendelian Randomization Analyses. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2023 Jun 27:dgad324.