Alcohol consumption and cardiovascular risk factors.

This chapter reviews epidemiologic evidence relating alcohol consumption to the cardiovascular risk factors of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and blood pressure. Alcohol consumption shows a linear dose-response relationship with HDL-cholesterol that is independent of other known determinants of HDL-cholesterol. The effect of alcohol on HDL-cholesterol appears to be reversible. The relationship of alcohol consumption to HDL-cholesterol subfractions and to the HDL apoproteins is not clear. Alcohol consumption also shows a linear dose-response relationship with blood pressure. Although the association is consistent, the estimated effect of alcohol consumption on blood pressure is small. This effect of alcohol may also be reversible. No biological mechanisms have been established for these associations. Some of the effect of alcohol on the risk of coronary heart disease may be explained by the effects of alcohol on these risk factors. It remains to be determined if alcohol also exerts an effect that is independent of these risk factors.