Effect of moderate alcohol consumption on plasma dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, testosterone, and estradiol levels in middle-aged men and postmenopausal women: a diet-controlled intervention study.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Randomized crossover intervention trial
PubMed 15166654 · doi:10.1097/01.alc.0000125356.70824.81
What was done
In a randomized, diet-controlled crossover study, 10 healthy middle-aged men and 9 postmenopausal women (all non-smoking moderate drinkers) consumed either beer (40 g/day alcohol for men, 30 g/day for women) or non-alcoholic beer with dinner during two successive 3-week periods. Each intervention was preceded by a 1-week alcohol washout. The entire diet was supplied and kept constant across the 6 weeks. Fasting morning blood samples were drawn at the end of each period to evaluate plasma dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), testosterone, estradiol, and serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
What was found
Moderate alcohol consumption caused: - A 16.5% increase in plasma DHEAS (95% CI, 8.0 to 24.9), similar in men and women. - A 6.8% decrease in plasma testosterone in men (95% CI, -1.0 to -12.5), with no effect in women. - No significant change in plasma estradiol. - An 11.7% increase in serum HDL cholesterol (95% CI, 7.3 to 16.0) in both sexes. - Positive correlations between relative hormone changes and HDL cholesterol increase (adjusted for weight change) were borderline significant for DHEAS (r = 0.44, p = 0.08) and estradiol (r = 0.46, p = 0.06), but non-significant for testosterone (r = 0.32, p = 0.21).
Why it matters
This controlled trial demonstrates that moderate alcohol intake induces acute shifts in circulating adrenal and gonadal hormones alongside increases in HDL cholesterol, providing a candidate endocrine mechanism for observed cardiovascular associations.
Limits
The sample size is very small (n = 19), limiting statistical power and precision. The intervention duration was short (3 weeks per arm), and only beer was tested, which may not generalize to other alcohol types. The study population was restricted to middle-aged men and postmenopausal women, precluding extrapolation to younger adults or premenopausal women.
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