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Alcohol consumption and metabolic syndrome in the elderly: results from the Italian longitudinal study on aging

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 64, pages 297–307 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

Although there is plenty of evidence of the association between metabolic syndrome (MS) and cardiovascular disease, the relationship between alcohol consumption and MS is still questioned. The few publications with respect to the elderly seem to indicate that alcohol consumption is unassociated with MS. The aim of this study was to assess the association between alcohol consumption and the prevalence and incidence of MS, as well as its components in a large sample of Italian elderly people.

Subjects/Methods:

This is a multicenter study on a population-based sample of Italian people aged 65–84 years. The Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging (ILSA) included a prevalence phase in 1992 and an incidence phase from 1995 to 1996. The median length of follow-up was 3.5 years. In the present study, the analysis included 1321 men grouped into five alcohol consumption classes: abstainers, and those consuming ⩽12, 13–24, 25–47 or ⩾48 g of alcohol in a day. Among the 1122 women considered, the last two of the above five categories were pooled together (>24 g/day). MS was defined according to ATP III criteria. All statistical analyses were stratified by gender.

Results:

Adjusted odds ratios showed that categorized alcohol consumption was not significantly associated with the prevalence and incidence of MS when compared with abstainers in either gender. For the MS incidence survey, three of five components (systolic pressure, glycemia and waist circumference) proved to be significantly and harmfully affected by alcohol consumption in males, whereas no such significant association emerged in females.

Conclusions:

These results suggest that alcohol can modify an individual's metabolic condition and that, even among the elderly, men might be more sensitive to the effects of alcohol than women.

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Acknowledgements

The Italian National Research Council supported the ILSA project from 1991 to 1998 as part of the Progetto Finalizzato Invecchiamento. Since 1999, the Italian National Research Council, the ‘Biology of Aging’ Strategic Project and the Ministero della Sanità through the program ‘Epidemiology of the Elderly’ of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità and the ‘Estimates of Health Needs of the Elderly’ special program of the Tuscany Region have been supporting the ILSA.

Author information

Author notes

  1. A Buja, E Scafato, G Sergi, S Maggi, M A Suhad, G Rausa, A Coin, I Baldi, E Manzato, L Galluzzo, G Enzi and E Perissinotto: The members of this group are enlisted in the Appendix.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy

    A Buja, M A Suhad, G Rausa & E Perissinotto

  2. Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy

    E Scafato & L Galluzzo

  3. Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Geriatrics Unit, University of Padua, Padua, Italy

    G Sergi, A Coin, E Manzato & G Enzi

  4. Istitute of Neuroscience, CNR, Padua, Italy

    S Maggi

  5. Unit of Epidemiology, S Giovanni Battista Hospital, Turin, Italy

    I Baldi

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  1. A Buja
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ILSA Working Group

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A Buja.

Appendix

Appendix

The ILSA Working Group consisted of: G Crepaldi, MD, University of Padova; S Maggi, MD, N Minicuci, PhD, M Noale, ScD, CNR, Aging Section, Padova; F Grigoletto, ScD, E Perissinotto, ScD, Enzi, MD, L Battistin, MD, G Sergi, MD, University of Padova; D Inzitari, MD, University of Firenze; A Di Carlo, MD, M Baldereschi, MD, CNR, Firenze; E Scafato, MD, G Farchi, MSc, L Galluzzo, MA, C Gandin, MD, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma; A Capurso, MD, F Panza, MD, PhD, V Solfrizzi, MD, PhD, V Lepore, MD, P Livrea, MD, University of Bari; L Motta, MD, G Carnazzo, MD, M Motta, MD, P Bentivegna, MD, University of Catania; S Bonaiuto, MD, G Cruciani, MD, D Postacchini, MD, Italian National Research Center on Aging, Fermo; C Gandolfo, MD, M Conti, MD, University of Genova; N Canal, MD, M Franceschi, MD, San Raffaele Institute, Milano; L Candelise, MD, E Scapini, MD, University of Milano; F Rengo, MD, P Abete, MD, F Cacciatore, MD, University of Napoli; GP Carbonin, MD, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma.

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Buja, A., Scafato, E., Sergi, G. et al. Alcohol consumption and metabolic syndrome in the elderly: results from the Italian longitudinal study on aging. Eur J Clin Nutr 64, 297–307 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2009.136

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