Could alcohol cause HDL to be elevated?
Question:
Answers:
It's the nature of modern medicine, isn't it? One minute, chocolate is bad because it makes you fat; the next, it's good because it contains antioxidants. The same holds true for alcohol. One thing that is clear is that alcohol has some effects that may be beneficial to our health and others that are clearly detrimental; the key lies in the dose.
The short answer is: YES, there is good research that shows moderate alcohol consumption leads to an increase in HDL, the "good" cholesterol. Moderate alcohol intake has also been linked with beneficial changes in several proteins that regular our body's clotting system. This likely accounts for the many studies that show a link between moderate drinking and a decreased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and death from all cardiovascular causes.
However, this information MUST be tempered with the toxic effects of alcohol. Alcohol can cause inflammation of the liver, potentially leading to cirrhosis and/or liver cancer. Heavy drinking can increase blood pressure and directly damage the heart muscle. It also increases the risk for several cancers, including those of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and colon. Recent data shows that it can increase the risk of breast cancer by 20-25%. I won't even mention the addictive potential of alcohol which has been highlighted by Hollywood for decades.
So what does this all mean? YES, alcohol can increase one's HDL level. However, this in itself is NOT a sufficient reason to start drinking. If you are pregnant or have any other conditions that affect your liver, alcohol is MORE likely to bring you harm than to protect you from it. Likewise, for a young person (less than 40 years of age) in whom the risk of coronary disease is already quite low, the risk of alcohol-related accidents outweighs the potential benefit of alcohol.
For middle-aged folks without liver disease or other reasons to avoid alcohol, one alcoholic drink a day is probably not a bad thing and may, in fact, reduce the risk of heart disease, strokes, or death related to cardiovascular problems. That's probably more than you asked for, but we can't have people running out and buying kegs to improve their cholesterol, can we? Hope that helps!
The general statment indicates that alcohol is a concern. Reality check says, if you are concerned about it, alcohol is probably a problem.
Alcohol Consumption Raises HDL Cholesterol Levels by Increasing the Transport Rate of Apolipoproteins A-I and A-II
Elizabeth R. De Oliveira e Silva, MD; David Foster, PhD; Monnie McGee Harper, PhD.
I am a doctor.
More Questions & Answers...