A gene variant amplifies alcohol's link to heart dysfunction
People with the gene variant had 2- to 2.5-fold higher odds of heart dysfunction despite drinking less alcohol, 7.6 against 16.7 grams per day.
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
In an observational study, researchers examined 1,871 participants from Northern Taiwan cohorts, 967 of whom were genotyped. They evaluated cardiac function using ultrasound imaging to measure strain, or how heart muscle deforms and relaxes, in the left atrium and left ventricle. The team tracked daily alcohol consumption and variants in ALDH2, a gene involved in clearing acetaldehyde after drinking.
Heart function showed dose-dependent deterioration as alcohol intake rose, even at low amounts. The ALDH2 variant amplified this link through gene-alcohol interactions. Analysis identified 6 grams of alcohol per day as the optimal cutoff for predicting early dysfunction, below guideline thresholds of 10 to 48 grams per day. Variant carriers had 2- to 2.5-fold higher odds of dysfunction despite consuming less alcohol, 7.6 against 16.7 grams per day. Males showed vulnerability in both chambers, while females showed vulnerability mainly in the left ventricle.
Why it matters
Subclinical cardiac dysfunction often precedes age-related heart failure. The findings suggest that genetic differences may shape how alcohol affects cardiovascular health, bearing on personalized guidelines for healthy aging.
Caveats
The study relied on observational, cross-sectional data, and only 967 of the 1,871 participants were genotyped. The findings also reflect cohorts from Northern Taiwan carrying a variant common in East Asian populations, so the results may not apply to other demographic groups.
The paper
ALDH2 variants amplify alcohol-related cardiac dysfunction at levels below international guidelines
