Background: Moderate alcohol consumption has been associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which may be due to the anti-inflammatory effects of moderate alcohol use. However, most studies examining the alcohol-CVD association have focused on healthy, non-Hispanic white populations using cross-sectional designs. Methods and Results: To examine alcohol intake and CVD risk (measured by the 10-year Framingham risk score, FRS-10y) in an ethnic minority population, we drew from the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study, a prospective, population-based cohort of 866 older Puerto Ricans (aged 45-75 years) with a high prevalence of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. We also evaluated the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) as a mediator. In prospective multivariable models, moderate alcohol use had a significant indirect and protective effect on FRS-10y through CRP (β=-0.16; bias-corrected 95% CI: -0.35 to -0.05) after adjusting for age, sex, education, smoking, body mass index, physical activity level, dietary quality, language acculturation, and white blood cell concentration. Conclusions: Results from this large longitudinal study of Puerto Ricans are in line with findings suggesting that the link between moderate alcohol consumption and cardiovascular health may be primarily through an anti-inflammatory effect. We add to the alcohol-CVD literature by longitudinally demonstrating the relationships between alcohol consumption, anti-inflammatory effects, and reduced CVD risk in Puerto Rican adults, a group at high CVD risk.

Authors:
Sandra Arevalo, California State University, United States
Katherine L. Tucker, University of Massachusetts at Lowell, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Sandra Arevalo is a University Assistant Professor/Lecturer at California State University in United States

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