Alcohol consumption and inflammatory markers in older adults: the Cardiovascular Health Study

Objective: We sought to determine the relation of alcohol intake and systemic inflammation in a population-based sample of older adults. Methods and results: As part of the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS), 5865 adults aged 65 years and older reported their intake of beer, wine, and liquor. We determined white blood cell count (WBC), factor VIII coagulant activity (factor VIIIc), and levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, and albumin as markers of systemic inflammation. Among participants without confirmed cardiovascular disease, alcohol consumption was inversely associated with WBC, factor VIIIc, and fibrinogen level, and positively associated with albumin concentration in multivariate analyses. We found no consistent modification of these results by sex, obesity, or beverage type. The relation of alcohol use and CRP levels was significantly modified by apoE genotype (P interaction 0.03), with a positive association among participants with an apoE4 allele (P=0.05), but a trend toward an inverse association among those without an apoE4 allele (P=0.15). Conclusions: Alcohol intake is associated with lower levels of inflammatory markers in older adults free of cardiovascular disease.