Alcohol consumption and risk of myelodysplastic syndromes: a case-control study

Purpose: Epidemiological studies on alcohol consumption and the risk of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) have been inconclusive. We evaluated the association between alcohol consumption and MDS risk in a Chinese population. Methods: A hospital-based case-control study was conducted between 2012 and 2013 in Hangzhou, China. The analysis included 208 case-control pairs. Diagnosis of MDS was confirmed according to the 2008 World Health Organization classification system. Controls were individually matched to the cases by gender, birth quinquennium, and residential locality. Information on habitual alcohol consumption, diet, and lifestyle was sought from face-to-face interview using a validated questionnaire. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using conditional logistic regression. Results: Fewer cases (36.5 %) were classified as alcohol drinkers compared with the controls (48.6 %). Compared with abstainers, the adjusted OR for alcohol drinkers was 0.41 (95 % CI 0.21-0.80), and significant reduced risks were found for light alcohol consumption (≤12.5 g/day of ethanol) and for wine consumption, adjusted ORs (95 % CIs) being 0.27 (0.12-0.61) and 0.12 (0.02-0.79), respectively. Compared with individuals who consumed neither alcohol nor cigarettes, the reduced risk associated with light alcohol consumption was only statistically significant among non-smokers (OR 0.19, 95 % CI 0.06-0.60). Conclusions: The findings suggest a favorable role of light alcohol consumption in MDS, particularly among non-smokers.