Table 2.
Characteristics of participants by alcohol consumption levels in employed men and women, 1988–1990.
| No alcohol | <5 g/day | <20 g/day | ≥20 g/day | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | 682 | 2,128 | 1,920 | 782 |
| Age (years) | 49.7 (0.24) | 48.6 (0.13)∗∗∗ | 48.6 (0.14)∗∗∗ | 49.0 (0.22)∗ |
| Male (%) | 64.9 | 80.3 | 68.5 | |
| New diabetes | 41 (6.0%) | 49 (2.3%) | 54 (2.8%) | 26 (3.3%) |
| IGT | 47 (6.9%) | 87 (2.3%) | 76 (4.0%) | 38 (4.9%) |
| Hypertension | 130 (19.1%) | 346 (16.3%) | 329 (17.1%) | 192 (24.6%) |
| Current cigarette smoker | 135 (19.8%) | 521 (24.5%) | 467 (24.3%) | 276 (35.3%) |
| Ex-cigarette smoker | 168 (24.6%) | 629 (29.6%) | 711 (37.0%) | 337 (43.1%) |
|
| ||||
| Age, gender, and ethnicity adjusted | ||||
| BMI (kg/m2) | 27.8 (0.16) | 27.1 (0.09) | 27.0 (0.09)∗∗∗ | 27.4 (0.15) |
| Fasting plasma glucose (mmol/L) | 5.44 (0.04) | 5.35 (0.02)∗ | 5.40 (0.02) | 5.48 (0.03) |
| 2-hour glucose (mmol/L) | 5.23 (0.09) | 4.89 (0.04)∗∗∗ | 4.85 (0.04)∗∗∗ | 4.97 (0.07)∗∗ |
| Total cholesterol (mmol/L) | 6.12 (0.05) | 6.16 (0.03) | 6.16 (0.03) | 6.43 (0.04)∗∗∗ |
| HDL-cholesterol (mmol/L) | 1.16 (0.01) | 1.20 (0.01)∗∗∗ | 1.30 (0.01)∗∗∗ | 1.39 (0.01)∗∗∗ |
| Serum triglycerides (mmol/L)1 | 1.32 (1.04) | 1.35 (1.02) | 1.39 (1.02)∗ | 1.56 (1.04)∗∗∗ |
| Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 123.6 (0.53) | 122.4 (0.29) | 124.0 (0.30) | 125.9 (0.48)∗∗ |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 75.9 (0.38) | 76.3 (0.21) | 76.8 (0.22) | 77.8 (0.34)∗∗ |
| Physical activity (min/day)1 | 12.7 (1.19) | 14.9 (1.10) | 18.7 (1.10)∗∗∗ | 18.1 (1.17)∗∗ |
| NZSEI | 44.2 (0.46) | 46.5 (0.25)∗∗∗ | 46.8 (0.27)∗∗∗ | 45.8 (0.42)∗∗∗ |
*0.01 < P < 0.05; **0.001 < P < 0.1; ***P ≤ 0.001 compared to no alcohol group. Percentages are for that column.
1Geometric mean (tolerance factor). IGT: impaired glucose tolerance; NZSEI: New Zealand socioeconomic index.