Observational studyBMJ open2018
Short-term abstinence from alcohol and changes in cardiovascular risk factors, liver function tests and cancer-related growth factors: a prospective observational study.
Observational study in BMJ open, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
24 citing papers in PubMed, 44 citations in OpenAlex.
- Clinical application of thioredoxin reductase as a novel biomarker in liver cancer.Scientific reports · 2021Trial
- Daily alcohol consumption trajectories and user retention during a national temporary abstinence campaign: real-world data from a smartphone application.BMC medicine · 2026Observational
- Clinical trial design, biomarkers and end points in metabolic and alcohol-related liver disease.Nature reviews. Gastroenterology & hepatology · 2025Review
- A scoping review of Dry January: evidence and future directions.Alcohol and alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire) · 2025Article
- Potentially inappropriate polypharmacy is an important predictor of 30-day emergency hospitalisation in older adults: a machine learning feature validation study.Age and ageing · 2025Article
- Metabolic dysfunction and alcohol-related liver disease (MetALD): Position statement by an expert panel on alcohol-related liver disease.Journal of hepatology · 2025Review
- Response to semaglutide of non-drinker subjects with type 2 diabetes.Diabetology & metabolic syndrome · 2024Article
- Article
- Temporary abstinence challenges: What do we need to know?Drug and alcohol review · 2023Article
- Exploring changes in temporary abstinence in increasing and higher risk drinkers in England and Dry January participation in users of the Try Dry app in the UK between 2020 and 2021.BMC public health · 2022Article
- Evaluation of high-risk factors and the diagnostic value of alpha-fetoprotein in the stratification of primary liver cancer.World journal of clinical cases · 2022Article
- One-month alcohol abstinence national campaigns: a scoping review of the harm reduction benefits.Harm reduction journal · 2022Article
- Alcohol and Metabolic-associated Fatty Liver Disease.Journal of clinical and translational hepatology · 2021Review
- Article
- New Indications for Liver Transplantation.Journal of clinical medicine · 2021Review
- From Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) to Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD)-New Terminology in Pediatric Patients as a Step in Good Scientific Direction?Journal of clinical medicine · 2021Review
- Natural Recovery by the Liver and Other Organs after Chronic Alcohol Use.Alcohol research : current reviews · 2021Review
- Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Disease according to Alcohol Behavioral Change after Cancer Diagnosis.Korean journal of family medicine · 2020Article
- Chronic Stress and Cardiovascular Disease among Individuals Exposed to Lead: A Pilot Study.Diseases (Basel, Switzerland) · 2020Article
- Benefits of temporary alcohol restriction: a feasibility randomized trial.Pilot and feasibility studies · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
17 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo assess changes in metabolic risk factors and cancer-related growth factors associated with short-term abstinence from alcohol.
designProspective, observational study.
settingSingle tertiary centre.
participantsHealthy subjects were recruited based on intention to: (1) abstain from alcohol for 1 month (abstinence group), or (2) continue to drink alcohol (control group). Inclusion criteria were baseline alcohol consumption >64 g/week (men) or >48 g/week (women). Exclusion criteria were known liver disease or alcohol dependence. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was change in insulin resistance (homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) score). Secondary outcomes were changes in weight, blood pressure (BP), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF) and liver function tests. Primary and secondary outcomes were adjusted for changes in diet, exercise and cigarette smoking.
resultsThe abstinence group comprised 94 participants (mean age 45.5 years, SD ±1.2) and the control group 47 participants (mean age 48.7 years, SD ±1.8). Baseline alcohol consumption in the abstinence group was 258.2 g/week, SD ±9.4, and in the control group 233.8 g, SD ±19.0. Significant reductions from baseline in the abstinence group (all p<0.001) were found in: HOMA score (-25.9%, IQR -48.6% to +0.3%), systolic BP (-6.6%, IQR -11.8% to 0.0%), diastolic BP (-6.3%, IQR -14.1% to +1.3%), weight (-1.5%, IQR -2.9% to -0.4%), VEGF (-41.8%, IQR -64.9% to -17.9%) and EGF (-73.9%, IQR -86.1% to -36.4%). None of these changes were associated with changes in diet, exercise or cigarette smoking. No significant changes from baseline in primary or secondary outcomes were noted in the control group.
conclusionThese findings demonstrate that abstinence from alcohol in moderate-heavy drinkers improves insulin resistance, weight, BP and cancer-related growth factors. These data support an independent association of alcohol consumption with cancer risk, and suggest an increased risk of metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.