Lipid profiles after changes in alcohol consumption

A study investigated whether changes in alcohol consumption, both initiation and cessation, are associated with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in settings outside intense interventions?
The cohort study included individuals undergoing annual checkups at a centre for preventive medicine in Tokyo, Japan, from October 2012 to October 2022. Individuals treated with lipid-lowering medications were excluded. Data were analysed from May to December 2024. Alcohol initiation (vs remaining abstainer) and cessation (vs continuing same alcohol intake) between 2 consecutive visits were recorded. One standard drink was equivalent to 10 g of pure ethanol.
Among the 328,676 visits from 57,691 individuals (mean [age, 46.8 years; 53% female), the cohort for evaluating alcohol cessation comprised 49,898 visits among 25 144 participants (mean [SD] LDL-C, 114.7 [28.4] mg/dL; mean [SD] HDL-C, 65.5 [16.4] mg/dL).
Alcohol cessation was associated an increase in LDL-C of 1.10 mg/dL (95% CI, 0.76 to 1.45 mg/dL) among those discontinuing habits of fewer than 1.5 drinks/d, 3.71 mg/dL for 1.5 to 3.0 drinks/d, and 6.53 mg/dL for 3.0 or more drinks/d. Cessation was associated with a reduction in HDL-C: −1.25 mg/dL among those discontinuing habits of fewer than 1.5 drinks/d, −3.35 mg/dL for 1.5 to 3.0 drinks/d, and −5.65 mg/dL for 3.0 or more drinks/d.
In subgroup analyses, alcohol cessation was associated with increased LDL-C levels among younger participants, female participants, and those with lower BMI, lower prior LDL-C, and higher prior HDL-C, whereas decreased HDL-C levels were associated with older age, lower BMI, lower prior LDL-C, and higher prior HDL-C. The cohort for evaluating alcohol initiation (107 880 visits; 29 042 participants) showed inverse dose-response associations.
In a cohort study of 57 691 individuals undergoing annual health checkups at a centre for preventive medicine in Japan, alcohol cessation was significantly associated with increased LDL-C and decreased HDL-C levels compared with continuing alcohol intake. Alcohol initiation showed opposite significant associations, with these changes more pronounced at higher consumption levels. These results suggest that monitoring lipid profiles after changing alcohol habit is essential for optimising cholesterol management.
Source: Suzuki T, Fukui S, Shinozaki T, et al. Lipid Profiles After Changes in Alcohol Consumption Among Adults Undergoing Annual Checkups. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(3):e250583.