Alcohol in
Moderation
Moderation
Alcohol consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and mortality
Studies regarding whether light to moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have generated mixed results. Further, few studies have examined the potential impact of alcohol consumption on diverse disease outcomes simultaneously. A study published in the journal Nutrition aimed to prospectively study the dose-response association between alcohol consumption and risk of CVD, cancer, and mortality.
This study included 83,732 adult Chinese participants, free of CVD and cancer at baseline. Participants were categorised into 6 groups based on self-report alcohol consumption: 0, 1-25, 26-150, 151-350, 351-750, and > 750 g alcohol/wk. Incident cases of CVD, cancers, and mortality were confirmed by medical records. Hazard ratios (HRs) for the composite risk of these three outcomes, and each individual outcome, were calculated using Cox proportional hazard model.
During a median follow-up of 10.0 years, there were 6,411 incident cases of CVD, 2,947 cancers and 6,646 deaths. A J-shaped relation between alcohol intake and risk of CVD, cancer, and mortality was observed, with the lowest risk at 25 g/week (equivalent to ~ 2 servings/wk). Compared to consuming 1-25 g/wk., the adjusted HR for composite outcomes was 1.38 (95% confidence interval (CI):1.29-1.49) for non-drinker, 1.15 (95% CI: 1.04-1.27) for 26-150 g/wk, 1.22 (95% CI: 1.10-1.34) for 151-350 g/wk, 1.33 (95% CI: 1.21-1.46) for 351-750 g/wk, and 1.57 (95% CI: 1.30-1.90) for > 750 g/wk, after adjusting for age, sex, lifestyle, social economic status, and medication use.
Light alcohol consumption at ~ 25 g/wk was associated with lower risk of CVD, cancer, and mortality than none or higher consumption in Chinese adults.
Source: Zhang X, Liu Y, Li S, Lichtenstein AH, Chen S, Na M, Veldheer S, Xing A, Wang Y, Wu S, Gao X. Alcohol consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and mortality: a prospective cohort study. Nutr J. 2021 Feb 1;20(1):13. .
This study included 83,732 adult Chinese participants, free of CVD and cancer at baseline. Participants were categorised into 6 groups based on self-report alcohol consumption: 0, 1-25, 26-150, 151-350, 351-750, and > 750 g alcohol/wk. Incident cases of CVD, cancers, and mortality were confirmed by medical records. Hazard ratios (HRs) for the composite risk of these three outcomes, and each individual outcome, were calculated using Cox proportional hazard model.
During a median follow-up of 10.0 years, there were 6,411 incident cases of CVD, 2,947 cancers and 6,646 deaths. A J-shaped relation between alcohol intake and risk of CVD, cancer, and mortality was observed, with the lowest risk at 25 g/week (equivalent to ~ 2 servings/wk). Compared to consuming 1-25 g/wk., the adjusted HR for composite outcomes was 1.38 (95% confidence interval (CI):1.29-1.49) for non-drinker, 1.15 (95% CI: 1.04-1.27) for 26-150 g/wk, 1.22 (95% CI: 1.10-1.34) for 151-350 g/wk, 1.33 (95% CI: 1.21-1.46) for 351-750 g/wk, and 1.57 (95% CI: 1.30-1.90) for > 750 g/wk, after adjusting for age, sex, lifestyle, social economic status, and medication use.
Light alcohol consumption at ~ 25 g/wk was associated with lower risk of CVD, cancer, and mortality than none or higher consumption in Chinese adults.
Source: Zhang X, Liu Y, Li S, Lichtenstein AH, Chen S, Na M, Veldheer S, Xing A, Wang Y, Wu S, Gao X. Alcohol consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and mortality: a prospective cohort study. Nutr J. 2021 Feb 1;20(1):13. .
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International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research
The International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research (ISFAR) is a group of 45 specialist Professors and Medics who produce balanced and well researched analysis of emerging research papers alcohol and health.
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