Apolipoprotein E polymorphism modifies the alcohol-HDL association observed in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Heart Study

• Published in: The American journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 80; no. 6; pp. 1639 - 1644
• Main Authors: Djousse, L, Pankow, J.S, Arnett, D.K, Eckfeldt, J.H, Myers, R.H, Ellison, R.C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD American Society for Clinical Nutrition 01.12.2004; American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc
• Subjects: Adult; adverse effects; Aged; alcohol consumption; Alcohol Drinking; Alcohol Drinking - adverse effects; Alcohol Drinking - blood; Alcohol use; alcoholic beverages; Alleles; APOE gene; apolipoproteins; Apolipoproteins E; Apolipoproteins E - blood; Apolipoproteins E - genetics; biochemical polymorphism; Biological and medical sciences; blood; blood lipids; Cholesterol; Cholesterol, HDL; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Cholesterol, LDL; Cholesterol, LDL - blood; Cross-Sectional Studies; elderly; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; food intake; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genes; genetics; Genotype; Health risk assessment; high density lipoprotein; Humans; low density lipoprotein; Male; men; Middle Aged; middle-aged adults; Multivariate Analysis; National Institutes of Health (U.S.); Polymorphism; Polymorphism, Genetic; protein isoforms; Smoking; United States; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Whites; women; United States; Human; Correlation; Feeding behavior; Ethanol; Family study; Cardiovascular disease; Lipids; alcohol consumption; Respiratory system; HDL cholesterol; Allele; Gene; Apolipoprotein E; Cholesterol HDL; Food intake; Heart disease; Risk factor; interaction; Polymorphism
• ISSN: 0002-9165; 1938-3207
• DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/80.6.1639

Background: The apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) allele epsilon4 is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The presence of the epsilon4 allele has been associated with lower concentrations of HDL cholesterol, but it is not known whether the epsilon4 allele modifies the association between alcohol consumption and HDL-cholesterol concentrations. Objective: The objective of the study was to assess whether the epsilon4 allele modifies the association between alcohol consumption and HDL-cholesterol concentrations. Design: In a cross-sectional design, we studied 670 men and women aged 26-78 y who participated in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Heart Study to assess whether the epsilon4 allele of the gene APOE modifies the association between alcohol consumption and HDL-cholesterol concentrations. Alcohol data were self-reported, and we used multivariate, generalized estimating equations to assess interactions. Results: In a model with adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, smoking, exercise, waist-hip ratio, TV viewing, and study site, there was a significant effect of the interaction between the epsilon4 allele and alcohol consumption on HDL cholesterol (P = 0.0001). In the absence of the epsilon4 allele, multivariate adjusted means of HDL were 1.24, 1.36, and 1.54 mmol/L among subjects who never drank and those who currently drink 0.1-12 and > 12 g alcohol/d, respectively; in the presence of the epsilon4 allele, the corresponding values were 1.19, 1.27, and 1.25 mmol/L. Conclusion: Our data show a significant effect of the interaction between the epsilon4 allele and alcohol consumption on HDL. The increase in HDL associated with alcohol appears to be stronger in subjects without the epsilon4 allele than in those with the epsilon4 allele.