Effect of alcohol consumption on estimated glomerular filtration rate and creatinine clearance rate

• Published in: Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation dialysis, transplantation, 2005-08, Vol.20 (8), p.1610-1616
• Main Authors: Chung, Fu-Mei, Yang, Yi-Hsin, Shieh, Tien-Yu, Shin, Shyi-Jang, Tsai, Jack C.-R., Lee, Yau-Jiunn
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; alcohol; Alcohol Drinking; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Biological and medical sciences; blood pressure; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Cholesterol, HDL - metabolism; Cholesterol, LDL - metabolism; Creatinine - blood; creatinine clearance rate; Cross-Sectional Studies; Emergency and intensive care: renal failure. Dialysis management; Female; Glomerular Filtration Rate; Glomerulonephritis; Humans; Intensive care medicine; Investigative techniques of renal and urinary tract function; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Male; Medical sciences; Metabolic Clearance Rate; Middle Aged; Nephrology. Urinary tract diseases; Nephropathies. Renovascular diseases. Renal failure; Smoking; Taiwan; Triglycerides - metabolism; Uric Acid - metabolism
• ISSN: 0931-0509; 1460-2385
• DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfh842

Background. Moderate alcohol consumption is widely recognized as beneficial in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, yet the renal effects of alcohol intake are still controversial. The present study is designed to investigate the influence of alcohol consumption on calculated creatinine clearance rate (CCr) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in a Southern Taiwan Pai-Wan aboriginal community with a high prevalence of alcohol consumption. Methods. This is a cross-sectional community-based study. The 1466 aboriginal subjects, 40–95 years of age, are a stratified random subpopulation identified during an integrative health care programme. They were sampled for drinking patterns. The main outcome measurements were serum creatinine, estimated CCr and GFR. Results. Subjects with alcohol consumption had significantly higher levels of serum triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, uric acid, estimated CCr and GFR values than non-drinkers. Their blood pressure was also significantly higher. They had lower total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. Increasing alcohol consumption was independently and significantly associated with a higher level of estimated CCr and GFR when analysed as both a categorical and continuous variable. Conclusions. The present study shows that chronic alcohol consumption has a negative effect on blood pressure and lipid profile and stimulates the estimated GFR.