LOS ANGELES — Individuals who consume moderate amounts of alcohol have a lower risk of developing colorectal adenomas compared with heavy drinkers, according to research presented at the annual Digestive Disease Week.
Also, moderate alcohol consumption—between two and seven drinks per week—may actually protect against the disease, compared with teetotalism, said lead investigator Dr. Greg Austin of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
He and his colleagues performed a case-control analysis of 203 patients and 522 controls; all underwent a full colonoscopy and completed the National Cancer Institute's food frequency questionnaire.
Individuals who reported consuming an average of less than two drinks a week or between two and seven drinks per week had the lowest probability of developing colorectal adenoma. Moderate drinkers—those who reported consuming between two and seven drinks—were used as a reference group in the study. The researchers controlled for potential confounding factors including sex, age, body mass index, race, smoking, and the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications.
Those who abstained from alcohol use, the largest group in the study, had about a 40% increased risk, compared with moderate drinkers.
Heavier drinkers had the highest risk. Individuals who consumed between 7 and 14 drinks per week had about a 60% increased risk of developing adenoma compared with moderate drinkers, and those who consumed 14 drinks or more had a 150% increased risk.
“A moderate level of alcohol consumption certainly isn't harmful,” and it may be protective, Dr. Austin said.
The preliminary results lack statistical power to show that limited alcohol intake is better than abstention, commented Dr. Lee Kaplan, director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Weight Center, Boston.
But the findings clearly show that moderate alcohol consumption is better than heavy consumption, said Dr. Kaplan, who was not involved in the study.