Alcohol consumption raises HDL cholesterol levels by increasing the transport rate of apolipoproteins A-I and A-II

• Published in: Circulation (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2000-11, Vol.102 (19), p.2347-2352
• Main Authors: DE OLIVEIRA E SILVA, Elizabeth R, FOSTER, David, HARPER, Monnie Mcgee, SEIDMAN, Cynthia E, SMITH, Jonathan D, BRESLOW, Jan L, BRINTON, Eliot A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Alcohol Drinking - blood; Alcohol Drinking - metabolism; Apolipoprotein A-I - blood; Apolipoprotein A-I - metabolism; Apolipoprotein A-II - blood; Apolipoprotein A-II - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Transport; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Female; Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nutritional survey. Food supply and nutritional requirement
• ISSN: 0009-7322; 1524-4539
• DOI: 10.1161/01.cir.102.19.2347

Moderate alcohol intake is associated with lower atherosclerosis risk, presumably due to increased HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations; however, the metabolic mechanisms of this increase are poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that ethanol increases HDL-C by raising transport rates (TRs) of the major HDL apolipoproteins apoA-I and -II. We measured the turnover of these apolipoproteins in vivo in paired studies with and without alcohol consumption in 14 subjects. The fractional catabolic rate (FCR) and TR of radiolabeled apoA-I and -II were determined in the last 2 weeks of a 4-week Western-type metabolic diet, without (control) or with alcohol in isocaloric exchange for carbohydrates. Alcohol was given as vodka in fixed amounts ranging from 0.20 to 0.81 g. kg(-1). d(-1) (mean+/-SD 0.45+/-0.19) to reflect the usual daily intake of each subject. HDL-C concentrations increased 18% with alcohol compared with the control (Wilcoxon matched-pairs test, P=0.002). The apoA-I concentrations increased by 10% (P=0.048) and apoA-II concentrations increased by 17% (P=0.005) due to higher apoA-I and -II TRs, respectively, whereas the FCR of both apoA-I and -II did not change. The amount of alcohol consumed correlated with the degree of increase in HDL-C (Pearson's r=0.66, P=0.01) and apoA-I TR (r=0.57, P=0.03). The increase in HDL-C also correlated with the increase in apoA-I TR (r=0.61, P=0.02). Alcohol intake increases HDL-C in a dose-dependent fashion, associated with and possibly caused by an increase in the TR of HDL apolipoproteins apoA-I and -II.