ARS | Publication request: SERUM LEPTIN AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IN A CONTROLLED FEEDING STUDY

Submitted to: Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: September 3, 2003
Publication Date: November 19, 2003
Citation: Roth, M.J., Baer, D.J., Judd, J.T., Dorgan, J.F., Dawsey, S.M., Brown, E.D., Hartman, T.J., Corle, D.K., Campbell, W.S., Giffen, C.A., Taylor, P.R. 2003. Serum leptin and alcohol consumption in a controlled feeding study. Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Interpretive Summary: Leptin is a hormone produced by the fat tissue and is involved in satiety. It may play a role in carcinogenesis secondary to a growth factor-like effect on a variety of tissues including breast and colon. Serum leptin concentration is also correlated with serum insulin concentrations with varying results; and we found reduced serum insulin in postmenopausal women who consumed moderate amounts of alcohol. We studied serum leptin in a controlled feeding and alcohol ingestion study to elucidate potential mechanisms by which alcohol may affect cancer and related health risks. Our results indicate that moderate alcohol consumption increases serum leptin in postmenopausal women and may predispose moderate drinkers to the morbidities associated with chronic elevations of this hormone including cancer. These data are important for postmenopausal women who are interested in making dietary choices that can decrease risk for disease, as well as health professionals and policy makers who provide recommendations concerning alcohol consumption.

Technical Abstract: We studied serum leptin in a controlled feeding and alcohol ingestion study to elucidate potential mechanisms by which alcohol may affect cancer and related health risks. Fifty-three healthy non-smoking postmenopausal women completed a random-order three-period crossover design study during which each woman received zero, one, or two drinks per day. After accounting for differences in BMI, women who consumed 15 or 30g of alcohol per day had 7.3% and 8.9% higher serum leptin levels, respectively (p for trend = 0.018). Younger women showed a larger effect of alcohol on serum leptin than older women (i.e., a 24.4%, versus a 2.0%, increase in serum leptin for the lowest age quartile compared to the three highest quartiles for 30 g/day relative to 0 g/day, p=0.022). Our results indicate that moderate alcohol consumption increases serum leptin in postmenopausal women and may predispose moderate drinkers to the morbidities associated with chronic elevations of this hormone including cancer.