Background To investigate the impact of alcohol consumption on all-cause and cancer mortalities in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).
Methods This nationwide cohort study included Korean patients with T2D aged >20 years from a national health exams cohort (2009 to 2012). Participants were categorized based on alcohol consumption: non, mild (<30 g/day), and heavy drinkers (≥30 g/day). Primary outcomes were all-cause and cancer mortality rates. Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were used to calculate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) with adjustments for age, sex, body mass index, smoking, exercise, comorbidities, diabetes duration, and medications.
Results Among 2,642,359 participants (median follow-up, 7.8 years), 57.2%, 32.7%, and 10.1% were non, mild, and heavy drinkers, respectively. Compared to non-drinkers, mild alcohol consumption was associated with reduced all-cause mortality (aHR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.80 to 0.82) and cancer mortality (aHR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.86 to 0.89), while heavy drinking increased both all-cause (aHR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.07) and cancer mortalities (aHR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.11). Subgroup analyses revealed variations: in chronic kidney disease and older age groups, heavy drinkers showed lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to non-drinkers. Regarding cancer mortality, younger and middle-aged groups showed protective effects of alcohol even for heavy drinkers, while females showed linear association between alcohol consumption and cancer mortality.
Conclusion This study indicates a J-shaped relationship between alcohol consumption and all-cause and cancer mortality risk in patients with T2D, with variations across subgroups. These findings suggest the need for personalized recommendations considering individual risk factors.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Alcohol and the endocrine system: A critical review of disruptions, potential mechanisms, and health implications Patricia E. Molina, Liz Simon Alcohol, Clinical and Experimental Research.2026;[Epub] CrossRef
Impact of Moderate Wine Consumption on Type 2 Diabetes Attilio Giacosa, Josep Masip, Ursula Fradera, Ramon Estruch, Mariangela Rondanelli Nutrients.2026; 18(12): 2006. CrossRef
High BMI-attributable female-specific cancers: a comprehensive analysis of the global disease burden and trends from 1990 to 2021 and projections to 2040 Guangming Sun, Junmei Tang, Hao Chen, Yue Zhu, Pan Ren, Hanyue Gan, Wenbin Wu Frontiers in Oncology.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
As the new terminology of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and MASLD with increased alcohol intake (MetALD) has emerged, the clinical significance of MASLD is increasing. This cross-sectional study analyzed 476,124 health checkup participants (2002–2022) to compare hepatic fibrosis risks across MASLD, MetALD, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). Steatotic liver was identified via ultrasonography, and fibrosis risk was assessed using aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index and NAFLD fibrosis score. The prevalence of NAFLD, MAFLD, MASLD, and MetALD was 30.1%, 32.3%, 29.8%, and 3.0%, respectively, with a 27.9% overlap among three conditions. Participants with steatotic liver were predominantly male, with higher glucose, lipids, liver enzymes, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance levels. Three disease definitions largely overlapped, with MASLD and NAFLD being very similar, while participants with MAFLD and MetALD showed increased fibrosis risk (clinical trial registration number: 2024-11-050).
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Associations between steatotic liver disease subtypes and incident diabetes in young Korean adults: A nationwide cohort study Goh Eun Chung, Su Jong Yu, Jeayeon Park, Yoon Jun Kim, Jung‐Hwan Yoon, Kyungdo Han, Eun Ju Cho Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.2026; 28(3): 1947. CrossRef
Epidemiology and characteristics of obesity in Koreans based on the 2024 Obesity Fact Sheet Eun-Jung Rhee Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2026; 69(1): 4. CrossRef
Using an integrative multi-omics and in vitro approach to investigate the role of tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate in promoting hepatic steatosis Gang Zhou, Xihan Gu, Xinyao Zhou, Shuai Chen, Hanyang Liu, Jing Wang BMJ Open Gastroenterology.2026; 13(1): e002123. CrossRef
Distinct Laboratory and Clinical Features of Metabolic and Alcohol-Related Liver Disease (MetALD): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Maria Tampaki, Vasileios Lekakis, Christos Chologkitas, Stergios Α. Polyzos, Evangelos Cholongitas Current Obesity Reports.2026;[Epub] CrossRef
Nationwide Big Data Studies of Endocrine Diseases Using the Korean National Health Information Database: Research Trends and Standardization of Operational Definitions Sun Wook Cho, Jung Hee Kim, Kyoung Jin Kim, Beom-Jun Kim, Mee Kyoung Kim, Eun Jung Rhee Endocrinology and Metabolism.2026; 41(1): 86. CrossRef
Global epidemiology of metabolic and alcohol-associated liver disease: risk factors, natural history and clinical implications Luis Antonio Díaz, Elisa Pose, Mads Israelsen, Rohit Loomba Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology.2026;[Epub] CrossRef