A new study has revealed that quitting alcohol may raise bad cholesterol levels and decrease HDL levels. But is there a catch? How drinking alcohol may affect cholesterol levels (Freepik) Body’s lipid profile has significant impact on the cardiovascular health specifically. A decade long study in Japan has made a unique revelation that states how alcohol consumption may affect cholesterol levels and it is contradictory to the age old connotations that have been adhered to so far. A groundbreaking study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open this year investigated the change in lipid profiles after making changes in alcohol consumption among adults.
The cohort study comprised of57 691 individuals who have undergone annual health checkups at a center for preventive medicine in Tokyo, Japan, from October 2012 to October 2022. “The study concluded alcohol cessation was significantly associated with increased LDL-C and decreased HDL-C levels compared with continuing alcohol intake. Alcohol initiation showed opposite significant associations, with these changes more pronounced at higher consumption levels,” the study states. What the Study Finds
The study does not directly prove that alcohol causes these effects, even as the researchers suggested monitoring lipid profiles after changing alcohol habits for managing cholesterol, reports PTI.
Alcohol cessation (stopping) was significantly associated with increased LDL-C and decreased HDL-C levels compared to continuing alcohol intake.
Alcohol initiation was associated with modest cholesterol improvement, whereas cessation was associated with less favourable changes
The study found a direct correlation between alcohol intake and cholesterol shifts:
Participants who consumed up to 1.5 drinks per day saw a slight LDL drop of 0.85 mg/dL and an HDL increase of 0.58 mg/dL.
Participants who consumed 1.5 to 3 drinks per day experienced a more significant LDL drop of 4.4 mg/dL and an HDL boost of 2.49 mg/dL.
Participants who consumed around 3+ drinks per day saw the biggest shifts, with LDL falling 7.44 mg/dL and HDL rising 6.12 mg/dL.
Meanwhile, those who quit drinking experienced the reverse:
Participants who consumed up to 1.5 drinks per day and quit saw LDL increase by 1.10 mg/dL and HDL drop by 1.25 mg/dL.
Participants who consumed 1.5 to 3 drinks per day and quit had LDL rise by 3.71 mg/dL and HDL drop by 3.35 mg/dL.
Participants who consumed around 3+ drinks per day and quit saw an LDL increase of 6.53 mg/dL and an HDL drop of 5.65 mg/dL.
Limitations of the Study
The study published in JAMA Network Journals acknowledges the limitations. It relied on self-reported alcohol intake that may be under bias of recall and social desirability. Participants may have underreported, mis classified their drinking pattern. The study was done on Japanese people and their could be certain difference in terms of genetic and cultural differences in alcohol metabolism.
Apart from this, experts have also warned about the methodology.
“For example, some people who ceased drinking might have been heavy drinkers compared to the moderate drinkers who seem to have benefited from alcohol consumption,” Stephen Bright, a senior lecturer of addiction at Edith Cowan University, Australia, and not involved in the study, said as quoted by PTI. Bright added that research suggesting wine consumption to have cardiovascular benefits have now been disproven.
Studies suggesting benefits of moderate drinking – a drink per week to two in a day – on heart health and longevity have been analysed and consistently been called out for flawed methodologies.
In January 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a statement in The Lancet Public Health journal, saying when it comes to consuming alcohol, “no safe amount can be established” that does not affect health.
However, a key takeaway from the study and entailing analysis as per the study stated, “Public health recommendations should continue to emphasize moderation in alcohol consumption, but cholesterol levels should be carefully monitored after alcohol cessation to mitigate potential CVD risks.”
03-20-2025, 10:18 AM
All you need to know - Alcohol vs Cholesterol
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