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Research: CORRAO and colleagues,
Listed in Issue 33
Abstract
CORRAO and colleagues, Institute of Statistical and Mathematical Sciences, University of Milan, Italy. Giovanni.corrao@unimi.it. assessed the relationship of alcohol consumption and intake of 15 selected micronutrients with risk of cirrhosis of the liver.
Background
Methodology
The authors used data from a case-control study conducted in 1989-1990 in central Italy with 115 incident cases and 167 hospital controls.
Results
There were no differences between the cases and controls for daily intake of calories, carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. There were significant direct dose-response associations between intake of vitamin A and iron and cirrhosis risk, and there were significant protective effects for intake of vitamins B2 (riboflavin) and B12 . Also observed were differing patterns of the joint effects of nutrients and alcohol. Vitamin A and iron intakes were significantly associated with cirrhosis risk in lifetime teetotallers (odds ratios (OR) = 33.6 and 37.9 for higher intake of vitamin A and iron respectively and in consumers of <50 g/day of alcohol (vitamin A: OR = 45; iron: OR = 73.6. The OR for intakes of vitamins B2 (riboflavin) and B12 were not significant for the first two categories of alcohol use, but a higher intake of these two vitamins reduced risk of cirrhosis associated with alcohol consumption greater than 50 g/day. The ORs were 23 and 104.4 respectively, for higher and lower intakes of riboflavin and 12.8 and 138.4 respectively, for higher and lower intake of vitamin B12 .
Conclusion
These data may explain at least some of the individual susceptibility to alcohol-induced liver damage.
References
Corrao G et al. Alcohol consumption and micronutrient intake as risk factors for liver cirrhosis: a case-control study. The Provincial Group for the study of Chronic Liver Disease. Ann Epidemiol 8(3): 154-9. Apr 1998.
