Abstract
Aim To investigate the effects of alcohol on serum glycated albumin (GA) levels in Chinese men. Methods A total of 2314 male subjects from the Jinuo ethnic group in China were enrolled. Of these, 986 subjects drank alcohol frequently and 404 subjects did not. Lifestyle information was gathered by using a questionnaire, and measurements of blood pressure, body mass index, blood glucose level, liver function, and kidney function were collected. GA was measured by using an enzymatic method. Frequent drinking was defined as a history of drinking ethanol > 80 g/d within the past two weeks. Nondrinking was defined as no alcohol consumption in the past three months. Subjects with an alcohol intake between 0 and 80 g/d in the past two weeks were included in the drinking-occasionally group. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation analysis, and linear regression were used to evaluate the effects of drinking on serum GA levels. Decision tree regression (DTR) algorithm was used to evaluate the effect of features (variables) on GA levels. Results We found that male subjects who drank frequently had significantly lower serum GA levels than subjects who did not drink (13.0 ± 1.7 vs. 14.1 ± 3.7, p < 0.05). Spearman's correlation analysis calculated a coefficient of −0.152 between drinking and GA (p < 0.005). Linear regression established that drinking was an independent predictor for GA levels with a standardized regression coefficient of −0.144 (p < 0.05). Decision tree regression showed that the effect of drinking on GA levels (0.0283) is five times higher than that of smoking (0.0057). Conclusions Frequent alcohol consumption could result in decreased GA levels in men of the Jinuo ethnic group in China.
Highlights
Serum glycated albumin (GA) is a nonenzymatic glycation product of albumin and glucose [1]
E clinical data showed that systolic blood pressure (SBP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (c-GT), total bilirubin test (TBIL), FIB-4, albumin, and TG levels were all significantly increased in the drinking-frequently group compared to the nondrinking group, while the 2-hour insulin (2hINS) levels were significantly lower (p < 0.05) (Table 1). ere was a linear trend in SBP, albumin, TG, and 2hINS in these three groups. ere was no significant difference in the levels of diastolic blood pressure (DBP), BMI, body fat, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2h postprandial glucose (2hPG), and fasting insulin among the three groups (p > 0.05)
E average serum GA levels for the whole study population were 13.2 ± 2.4%. e serum GA concentrations in the drinking-frequently group were significantly lower than those in the no-drinking group (13.0 ± 1.7 vs. 14.1 ± 3.7, p < 0.05). e subjects were further divided into subgroups based on their glucose tolerance status, age, smoking status, and body fat
Summary
Serum glycated albumin (GA) is a nonenzymatic glycation product of albumin and glucose [1]. GA has been widely used in clinical practice to assess blood glucose levels of patients before and after treatment, especially in patients who are at an early stage [4, 5]. GA levels are affected by the rate of serum albumin renewal. Albumin metabolism is affected by many factors. Alcohol consumption affects the metabolism of blood glucose and liver function [10]. It has been reported that the concentration of glycated albumin in nondiabetic men in Japan can be reduced by drinking or smoking [11, 12]. The interaction between smoking and drinking has not been fully explored and the role of these two factors in patients with diabetes should be considered in clinical practice. It is known that drinking or smoking are common behaviors among Chinese men [13]
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