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Moderate Alcohol Consumption Protects Against Colorectal Adenoma: Presented at DDW

By Crystal Phend

LOS ANGELES, C.A. -- May 24, 2006 -- As has previously been shown for cardiovascular health, alcohol in moderation also appears to have protective effects for the colon, according to a study presented here at Digestive Diseases Week 2006 (DDW).

Lead author Gregory Austin, MD, MPH, a clinical fellow at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, said an analysis of data from a case control study suggests that regular and moderate alcohol consumption may reduce the risk of precancerous colorectal lesions, and thus reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer.

In a presentation May 22^nd, Dr. Austin said the analysis looked at 725 patients who underwent a full colonoscopy and filled out a dietary and lifestyle questionnaire.

Participants reported how many alcoholic drinks they consumed per week. Those who drank 2 to 6 alcoholic beverages a week were classified as moderate drinkers; those who drank more than 7 beverages a week were considered heavy drinkers. No distinction was made as to the type of alcohol consumed.

The majority indicated they typically abstain from alcohol, with 0 drinks per week.

The likelihood of a finding of adenoma on colonoscopy increased with increasing alcohol intake except for those with moderate drinking habits.

Nondrinkers had a 40% higher risk of adenoma than those in the moderate (1-2 drinks and 2-6 drinks per week) groups. Those drinking 7 or more alcoholic beverages per week had 150% higher risk of adenoma than the moderate groups.

Previous reports have indicated "good evidence" for cardiovascular benefits of moderate alcohol intake, Dr. Austin said.

The mechanism for reduction in the risk of colorectal adenoma may be similar to what is postulated for cardiovascular benefits, Dr. Austin said, such as red wine's antioxidant effect or the increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels seen with moderate alcohol intake. Or, it may be other dietary factors affected by alcohol intake, such as the increased folate intake associated with alcoholic beverages, or even an effect in activating or deactivating the right genes to decrease tumor growth, he said.

Whatever the mechanism, further study is needed to clarify alcohol's role in the development of colorectal cancer and to confirm the result found in this study with a randomized, controlled clinical trial.

Organizations such as the American Heart Association suggest that individuals not start regularly drinking solely on the basis of reports like these since other lifestyle factors like regular exercise yield similar protective effects.


[Presentation title: Moderate Alcohol Consumption Protects Against Colorectal Adenomas. Abstract M2263]

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