Alcohol: high density lipoproteins, apolipoproteins.
Plasma lipids, including high density lipoproteins (HDL) components, were studied in 26 healthy male alcohol abusers. Age- and gender-matched controls denied the use of substances or behaviors associated with increased HDL. On admission to abstinence treatment, the alcohol abusers' total cholesterol and triglycerides were usually normal. Their HDL-cholesterol levels were high, and fell to normal within 2 weeks of sobriety. Apolipoprotein (APO) AI and AII were high initially and also became normal in 2 weeks. APO A I and II to HDL-cholesterol ratios appeared to change during abstinence, while APO AI/AII did not. APO CIII, high initially, fell during treatment, but was still high after 4 weeks of sobriety. Therefore, alcohol seems to affect several components of HDL and these HDL changes move toward normal at different rates. If alcohol is protective against some cardiovascular disease, it remains to be established whether HDL is involved and which HDL component is most important.