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Liver enzymes, alcohol consumption and the risk of diabetes: the Suita study

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Abstract

Aim

We aimed to investigate the combined impact of liver enzymes and alcohol consumption on the diabetes risk.

Methods

Data on 5972 non-diabetic participants aged 30–79 years from the Suita study were analyzed. Diabetes incidence was surveyed every 2 years. Current daily alcohol consumption was defined as light drinking (< 23.0 g ethanol/day in men and < 11.5 g in women), moderate drinking (23.0–45.9 g and 11.5–22.9 g), and heavy drinking (≥ 46.0 g and ≥ 23.0 g). The nondrinkers category included both never-drinkers and former drinkers.

Results

During the median follow-up of 13 years, 597 incident diabetes cases were diagnosed. Higher levels of γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT), alanine aminotransferase (GPT), and aspartate aminotransferase (GOT) were associated with an increased diabetes risk, and current light drinkers had a lower risk of diabetes than nondrinkers. No sex differences were observed in these associations. Compared to nondrinkers having the lowest quartiles of liver enzymes, nondrinkers and current moderate/heavy drinkers having the highest quartiles had an increased risk of diabetes. However, no association was observed for current light drinkers having the highest quartiles of liver enzymes; the multivariable hazard ratios (95% CIs) in current light drinkers with the highest quartile of liver enzymes were 1.27 (0.68–2.37) for GGT, 1.05 (0.59–1.89) for GPT, and 0.76 (0.40–1.47) for GOT, respectively.

Conclusion

High liver enzymes were associated with an increased diabetes risk. No increased diabetes risk was observed in current light drinkers, even in these who had high levels of liver enzymes.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to Drs. Kawanishi and Misaki, the former and current presidents of the Suita Medical Association, respectively, and to all the Suita City Health Center members and staff of Preventive Cardiology and Preventive Healthcare Departments for performing medical examinations and follow-ups. We also would like to express our special gratitude to Professor Hiroyasu Iso from Osaka University and all cohort members.

Funding

This study was supported by the Intramural Research Fund (20-4-9) for cardiovascular diseases of the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, JST Grant Number JPMJPF2018, and by Health and Labour Sciences Research Grants of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan (20FA1002). This study was also supported by the Meiji Yasuda Research Institute, Inc. and Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Yoko M. Nakao

    Present address: Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

  2. Emi Watanabe

    Present address: Department of Food and Nutrition, Faculty of Contemporary Human Life Science, Tezukayama University, Nara, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Preventive Cardiology, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, 6-1, Kishibe-Shinmachi, Suita, Osaka, 564-8565, Japan

    Jiaqi Li, Ahmed Arafa, Rena Kashima, Masayuki Teramoto, Yoko M. Nakao, Yukie Sakai, Emi Watanabe, Tomoharu Dohi & Yoshihiro Kokubo

  2. Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan

    Jiaqi Li

  3. Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt

    Ahmed Arafa

  4. Department of Cardiovascular Pathophysiology and Therapeutics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan

    Rena Kashima

  5. Department of Medical and Health Information Management, Open Innovative Center, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan

    Yoko M. Nakao

  6. Division of Preventive Healthcare, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan

    Kyoko Honda-Kohmo

  7. Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan

    Tomoharu Dohi

Authors
  1. Jiaqi Li
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  2. Ahmed Arafa
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  10. Yoshihiro Kokubo
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Contributions

JL and YK contributed to initial concept; YK provided resources; YK acquired funding; JL and YK contributed to literature review; JL contributed to draft writing; JL analyzed the data; YK contributed to supervision; all authors contributed to critical revision.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jiaqi Li.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Consent for publication

Informed consent was obtained from all study participants.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Osaka, Japan (R21024). The study was conducted per the Declaration of Helsinki. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants for their anonymized information in the Suita study.

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Li, J., Arafa, A., Kashima, R. et al. Liver enzymes, alcohol consumption and the risk of diabetes: the Suita study. Acta Diabetol 59, 1531–1537 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00592-022-01949-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00592-022-01949-1

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