Excessive Drinking Increases Risk for Metabolic Syndrome, Regular Screening Recommended

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Title: Excessive Drinking Increases Risk for Metabolic Syndrome, Regular Screening Recommended
URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/226B5E.htm
Doctor's Guide
July 31, 2008

NEW YORK -- July 31, 2008 -- Those who drink in excess of the US Dietary Guidelines or those who binge drink are at increased risk for metabolic syndrome, according to a study that will appear in the October 2008 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

US Dietary Guidelines recommend no more than 2 drinks per day for men and no more than 1 drink per day for women. However, the current study shows that more than half of current drinkers in the United States consume more than what is recommended.

In addition, physicians do not regularly screen patients for alcohol use and are therefore missing an opportunity to warn them about reducing consumption to decrease their risk of metabolic syndrome.

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey used in the study, 58% of all current drinkers in the United States reported alcohol consumption exceeding Dietary Guidelines, and 52% reported at least 1 episode of binge drinking in the past year.

"Most people who consume alcohol in the United States drink in ways that may increase their risk of the metabolic syndrome and related conditions," said lead author Amy Fan, MD, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Fan and colleagues evaluated data from 1,529 participants of the 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. They restricted their analysis to current drinkers aged 20 to 84 years.

The survey included an interview and a physical examination that included a blood test. Measures of alcohol consumption included usual quantity consumed, drinking frequency, and frequency of binge drinking.

"Since more than half of current drinkers in our study drank in excess of the Dietary Guidelines limits and reported binge drinking, prevention efforts should focus on reducing alcohol consumption to safer levels," said Dr. Fan.

"Unfortunately, few physicians screen their patients about alcohol use or are knowledgeable about guidelines that define low-risk or moderate drinking."

Clinicians may have access to a new test to screen for excessive alcohol consumption. This test, which was presented today at the annual meeting of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC), identifies twice as many heavy drinkers as the commonly used liver enzyme test. The Early Detection of Alcohol Consumption (EDAC) test determines the likelihood of heavy drinking in the previous 4 to 6 weeks.

The EDAC test uses an algorithm that includes 20 blood chemistry levels. A patient's test results are compared with data from more than 1,700 heavy and light drinkers in a database. Heavy drinkers in the database reported more than 5 drinks per day for men and more than 4 drinks per day for women.

"Physicians can use the test as part of an early intervention," said James Harasymiw, PsyD, Alcohol Detection Services, Big Bend, Wisconsin. "When patients are confronted with test results, they may be more likely to change their behaviour."

Dr. Harasymiw said that because EDAC is based on routine blood values, the test allows physicians to intervene with patients in a more objective, less judgemental manner.

"Physicians can show patients the tests results to help convince them that their drinking is causing serious damage to their organs and other biologic systems," said Dr. Harasymiw.

SOURCES: The Endocrine Society/American Association for Clinical Chemistry

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