Alcohol and Type 2 Diabetes: Results from Canadian Cross-Sectional Data

James  McIntosh

doi:10.4236/jdm.2014.44044

James McIntosh^1,2

Abstract: Cross-section data from Canadian Community Health Surveys are used to examine the relationship between moderate alcohol use and type 2 diabetes. Results from these data are compared with those which have been obtained from prospective longitudinal studies. The major result is that both types of data yield similar conclusions with respect to this relationship. The reason why this occurs is because Canadian drinking behavior is quite stable once a respondent has become an adult and remains relatively stable thereafter. The only difference between the two types of survey is the time at which information on drinking behavior is obtained. Since this does not matter if drinking behavior is stable over large age ranges results from the two types of survey will be similar. Neither type of data can be used to support the proposition that the relationship between drinking behavior and the risk of diabetes is causal. Some advantages that sample survey data have over longitudinal data are also noted.

Keywords: Alcohol, Diabetes, Sample and Longitudinal Survey, Canada

Cite this paper: McIntosh, J. (2014) Alcohol and Type 2 Diabetes: Results from Canadian Cross-Sectional Data. Journal of Diabetes Mellitus, 4, 316-323. doi: 10.4236/jdm.2014.44044.

References

[1] Koppes, L.L.J., Dekker, J.M., Hendriks, H.F.J., et al. (2005) Moderate Alcohol Consumption Lowers the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care, 28, 719-725. http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/diacare.28.3.719

[2] Baliunas, D.O., Taylor, B.J., Hyacinth, I., et al. (2009) Alcohol as a Risk Factor for Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care, 32, 2123-2132. http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/dc09-0227

[3] Pietraszek, A., Gregersen, S. and Hermansen, K. (2010) Alcohol and Type Diabetes: A Review. Nutrition, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Diseases, 5, 366-375.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2010.05.001

[4] Buelens, J.W.J., van der Schouw, Y.T., Bergman, M.M., et al. (2012) Alcohol Consumption and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in European Men and Women; Influence of Beverage Type and Body Size. The EPIC-InterAct Study. Journal of Internal medicine, 272, 358-370. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2796.2012.02532.x

[5] Joosten, M.M., Grobbee, D.E., Daphne, L. van der A., Verschuren, W.M.M., Hendriks, H.F.J. and Beulens, J.W.J. (2010) Combined Effect of Alcohol Consumption and Lifestyle Behaviors on Risk of Type 2 Diabetes. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 91, 1777-1783.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2010.29170

[6] Joosten, M.M., Chiuve, S.E., Mukamal, K.J., et al. (2011) Changes in Alcohol Consumption and the Subsequent Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Men. Diabetes, 60, 74-79. http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/db10-1052

[7] Rasouli, B., Ahlbom, A., Andersson, T., Grill, V., et al. (2012) Alcohol Consumption Is Associated with Reduced Risk of Type 2 Diabetes and Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults: Results from the Nord-Trondelag Health Study. Diabetic Medicine, 30, 56-64.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-5491.2012.03713.x

[8] Statistics Canada (2013) Canadian Community Health Survey, 2011-2012. Statistics Canada, Ottawa.

[9] Statistics Canada (2002) Canadian Community Health Survey, 2000, 2001. Statistics Canada, Ottawa.

[10] Djoussé, L., Biggs, M., Mukamal, K.J., et al. (2007) Alcohol Consumption and Type 2 Diabetes among Older Adults: The Cardiovascular Health Study. Obesity, 15, 1758-1764.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/oby.2007.209

[11] McIntosh, J. (2014) Inference Problems in the Analysis of the Relationship between Alcohol Consumption and Coronary Heart Disease. Communications in Statistics-Simulation and Computation.

[12] Fillmore, K.M., Kerr, W.C., Stockwell, T., Chikritzhs, T. and Bostrom, A. (2006) Moderate Alcohol Use and Reduced Mortality Risk: Systematic Error in Prospective Studies. Addiction Research and Theory, Online Version, 1-16.

[13] McIntosh, J. (2009) Is Alcohol Consumption Good for You? Results from the 2005 Canadian Community Health Survey. Addiction Research and Theory, 16, 553-563.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/16066350802011631

[14] Pratt, J.W. and Schlaifer, R. (1988) On the Interpretation and Observation of Laws. Journal of Econometrics, 39, 23-52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0304-4076(88)90039-5

[15] Sierksma, A., Patel, H., Ouchi, N., et al. (2004) Effect of Moderate Alcohol Consumption on Adiponectin, Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha, and Insulin Sensitivity. Diabetes Care, 27, 184-189.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/diacare.27.1.184

[16] Imhof, A., Pampler, I. and Maier, S. (2009) Effect of Drinking on Adiponectin in Healthy Men and Women. Diabetes Care, 32, 1101-1103. http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/dc08-1723