alcohol and diabetes risk

Studies conducted over the years have shown a link between moderate alcohol consumption and a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes in the general population. Up until now, however, there has been scant data on the effects of alcohol use in people at high risk of diabetes.

As part of the ongoing Diabetes Prevention Program, researchers studied the association between alcohol consumption and diabetes risk factors in more than 3,000 participants enrolled in the trial. The subjects all had impaired
glucose tolerance, elevated fasting glucose levels and a body mass index of 24
or greater.

After a 1-year study period, high alcohol consumption was associated with lower insulin secretion at any level of
insulin sensitivity; there was also a lower
incidence rate of diabetes with higher
alcohol consumption. But don’t start celebrating yet: reporting in the September
issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the researchers recommended that more studies were warranted to
further investigate this link.