Quitting, Reducing Alcohol Use Improves Diabetes II Outcomes
A first of its kind study shows that reducing alcohol use by as little as two units per week may have long-term health benefits for people with diabetes.
Concerning alcohol and diabetes the situation has long been complicated. This new study, published in Cardiovascular Diabetology, therefore helps elucidate the science further. Meta-analysis have confirmed that there is a U-shaped relationship between the average amount of alcohol consumed per day and the risk of type 2 diabetes. For example, chronic heavy alcohol use has previously been observed to disrupt glucose homeostasis and to lead to the development of insulin resistance, resulting in a higher risk of diabetes mellitus.
Diabetes II: Small Reduction in Alcohol, Big Reduction in Heart Disease Risk
Type 2 diabetes: small reduction in alcohol, big reduction in heart disease risk
Lifestyle factors, such as diet and physical activity, affect the risk of developing diabetes, but there has been little research about how people with diabetes can change their lifestyle to lower their long-term risk of cardiovascular disease. The new alcohol-related study is filling in this gap in the evidence.
Among 852 adults with screen-detected type 2 diabetes in the ADDITION-Cambridge study, the researchers assessed changes in diet, physical activity, and alcohol use in the year following diabetes diagnosis.
The analysis showed that people who reduced their alcohol use by at least two units a week in the year after their diabetes diagnosis, had a 44% lower risk of cardiovascular disease. The analysis also showed that people who reduced their calorie intake by at least 300 calories a day for one year had a lower risk of dying in the next ten years compared with people who did not change their calorie intake.
Further analyses revealed that the associations between alcohol reductions and cardiovascular disease were not because of changes in other lifestyle factors.
This is the first study to show that reducing alcohol use by as little as two units per week may have long-term health benefits for people with diabetes,” said the study’s lead researcher Jean Stiglitz of the University of Cambridge.
People who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are advised to increase physical activity and eat a balanced diet. Now they might also want to consider cutting their alcohol intake.”
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