Author(s)

Nawé Justine Astrid Ngandeu^1,2*, Armand Mbanya^1,3, Eric Lontchi-Yimagou^3,4, Vicky Kamwa¹, Jean Louis Nguewa⁵, Jean-Claude Katte¹, Andrea Michèle Audrey Omengue^1,6, Simeon-Pierre Choukem^7,8, Mesmin Dehayem^1,6, Jean-Claude Mbanya^1,4,6, Eugene Sobngwi^1,4,6

¹Yaounde Central Hospital, National Obesity Center, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
²Cocody’s CHU, Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
³Diabetes Research and Training Center and Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
⁴Laboratories of Molecular Medicine and Metabolism, Biotechnology Center, University of Yaoundé, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
⁵Inserm UMRS 1138, Cordeliers Research Centre, University of Paris, Paris, France.
⁶Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
⁷Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.
⁸Health and Human Development (2HD) Research Group, Douala, Cameroon.

Binge drinking is a major public health problem that affects all age groups. Its relation to the risk of impaired glucose metabolism and diabetes is unclear due to controversial findings in animal models and lack of studies in humans. We performed an experimental study on 10 adult volunteers (7M/3F) under the age of 40 who were occasional binge drinkers. In all participants, we performed a baseline two-hour euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp at 80 mU•m⁻²•min⁻¹ at baseline for comparison with an age and sex matched control population of non-drinkers. On a second occasion, before and after ingestion of 78 g of alcohol (beer) in 2 hrs we also measured insulin sensitivity using a 15-minute short insulin tolerance test in drinkers. Blood glucose was also measured every 15 mins over 2 hours during alcohol ingestion. Volunteers were aged 27.6 ± 5.7 years, with a BMI of 23.1 ± 2.8 kg/m², and ALAT of 24.7 ± 3.0 UI/L. Insulin sensitivity evaluated by the clamp technique was higher in occasional drinkers (M = 12.7 ± 3.4 mg•kg⁻¹•min⁻¹ vs. 8.0 ± 2.3 mg•kg⁻¹•min⁻¹ in non-drinkers, p = 0.011). Acute alcohol ingestion was associated with a non-significant trends towards improved glucose disappearance during short insulin tolerance test (KITT 2.53% ± 0.22%/min before vs. 3.11% ± 1.15%/min after; p = 0.122). Beer consumption induced a significant increase in capillary glycaemia of 78% (p = 0.001). Bingeing was associated with reduced insulin secretion (Homa-β 113.5 ± 22.7 vs. 155.4 ± 57.6; p = 0.047). Binge drinking may induce an increase in insulin sensitivity but acutely decrease insulin secretion.

Glucose Metabolism, Binge Drinking, Insulin Sensitivity, Insulin Secretion

Ngandeu, N. , Mbanya, A. , Lontchi-Yimagou, E. , Kamwa, V. , Nguewa, J. , Katte, J. , Omengue, A. , Choukem, S. , Dehayem, M. , Mbanya, J. and Sobngwi, E. (2018) Effect of Binge Drinking on Glucose Metabolism in Occasional Drinkers: An Experimental Study. Open Journal of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, 8, 49-58. doi: 10.4236/ojemd.2018.81006.