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Evidence for a Positive Association Between Pulmonary Function and Wine Intake in a Population-Based Study

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Abstract

Background: Lung function is a strong predictor of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Previous studies suggest that alcohol exposure may be linked to impaired pulmonary function through oxidant-antioxidant mechanisms. Alcoholic beverages may be an important source of oxidants and antioxidants. We analyzed the relation of beverage-specific alcohol intake with forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) in a random sample of 1555 residents of Western New York, USA. Methods: We expressed pulmonary function as percent of predicted normal FEV1 (FEV1%) and FVC (FVC%) after adjustment for height, age, gender, and race. To obtain information on alcohol intake we used a questionnaire that reliably queries total alcohol and beverage-specific recent (past 30 days) and lifetime alcohol consumption. Results: Using multiple linear regression analysis after adjustment for covariates (pack-years of smoking, weight, smoking status, education, nutritional factors, and for FEV1%, in addition, eosinophil count), we observed no significant correlation between total alcohol intake and lung function. However, we found positive associations of recent and lifetime wine intake with FEV1% and FVC%. When we analyzed white and red wine intake separately, the association of lung function with red wine was weaker than with white wine. Conclusion: While total alcohol intake was not related to lung function, wine intake showed a positive association with lung function. Although we cannot exclude residual confounding by healthier lifestyle in wine drinkers, differential effects of alcoholic beverages on lung health may exist.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York

    Holger J. Schünemann M.D., Ph.D., Brydon J. B. Grant M.D. & Deepa Kudalkar M.D.

  2. Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York

    Holger J. Schünemann M.D., Ph.D., Brydon J. B. Grant M.D., Jo L. Freudenheim Ph.D., Paola Muti M.D., Susan E. McCann Ph.D., Malathi Ram Ph.D. & Maurizio Trevisan M.D.

  3. Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York

    Brydon J. B. Grant M.D.

  4. Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Buffalo, New York

    Brydon J. B. Grant M.D.

  5. Research Institute on Addictions, Buffalo, New York

    Tom Nochajski Ph.D.

  6. Prevention Research Center, Berkeley, California

    Marcia Russell Ph.D.

  7. Departments of Medicine and of Social and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, 270 Farber Hall, 3435 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14214-3000

    Holger J. Schünemann M.D., Ph.D.

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  1. Holger J. Schünemann M.D., Ph.D.
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  2. Brydon J. B. Grant M.D.
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  3. Jo L. Freudenheim Ph.D.
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  4. Paola Muti M.D.
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  5. Susan E. McCann Ph.D.
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  6. Deepa Kudalkar M.D.
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  7. Malathi Ram Ph.D.
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  8. Tom Nochajski Ph.D.
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  9. Marcia Russell Ph.D.
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  10. Maurizio Trevisan M.D.
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Correspondence to Holger J. Schünemann M.D., Ph.D..

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Schünemann, H.J., Grant, B.J.B., Freudenheim, J.L. et al. Evidence for a Positive Association Between Pulmonary Function and Wine Intake in a Population-Based Study. Sleep Breath 6, 161–173 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-002-0161-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-002-0161-6

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