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BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Research article

Risk of chronic liver disease in post-menopausal women due to body mass index, alcohol and their interaction: a prospective nested cohort study within the United Kingdom Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS)

Authors: Paul M Trembling, Sophia Apostolidou, Aleksandra Gentry-Maharaj, Julie Parkes, Andy Ryan, Sudeep Tanwar, Matthew Burnell, Ian Jacobs, Usha Menon, William M. Rosenberg

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2017

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Abstract

Background

We investigated the risk of chronic liver disease (CLD) due to alcohol consumption and body mass index (BMI) and the effects of their interaction in a prospective cohort study of women recruited to the UKCTOCS trial.

Methods

95,126 post-menopausal women without documented CLD were stratified into 12 groups defined by combinations of BMI (normal, overweight, obese) and alcohol consumption (none, <1–15, 16–20 and ≥21 units/week), and followed for an average of 5.1 years. Hazard ratios (HR) were calculated for incident liver-related events (LRE).

Results

First LREs were reported in 325 (0.34%) participants. Compared to women with normal BMI, HR = 1.44 (95% CI; 1.10–1.87) in the overweight group and HR = 2.25 (95% CI; 1.70–2.97) in the obese group, adjusted for alcohol and potential confounders. Compared to those abstinent from alcohol, HR = 0.70 (95% CI; 0.55–0.88) for <1–15 units/week, 0.93 (95% CI; 0.50–1.73) for 16–20 units/week and 1.82 (95% CI; 0.97–3.39) for ≥21 units/week adjusted for BMI and potential confounders. Compared to women with normal BMI drinking no alcohol, HR for LRE in obese women consuming ≥21 units/week was 2.86 (95% CI; 0.67–12.42), 1.58 (95% CI; 0.96–2.61) for obese women drinking <1–15 units/week and 1.93 (95% CI; 0.66–5.62) in those with normal BMI consuming ≥21 units/week after adjustment for potential confounders. We found no significant interaction between BMI and alcohol.

Conclusion

High BMI and alcohol consumption and abstinence are risk factors for CLD in post-menopausal women. However, BMI and alcohol do not demonstrate significant interaction in this group.

Trial registration

UKCTOCS is registered as an International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial, number ISRCTN22488978. Registered 06/04/2000.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Risk of chronic liver disease in post-menopausal women due to body mass index, alcohol and their interaction: a prospective nested cohort study within the United Kingdom Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS)
Authors
Paul M Trembling
Sophia Apostolidou
Aleksandra Gentry-Maharaj
Julie Parkes
Andy Ryan
Sudeep Tanwar
Matthew Burnell
Ian Jacobs
Usha Menon
William M. Rosenberg
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4518-y

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