Reduced alcohol consumption and major adverse cardiovascular events among individuals with previously high alcohol consumption

Researchers in Korea investigated the association between reduced alcohol consumption and risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in individuals who drink heavily across different CVD subtypes. Heavy drinking was defined as more than 4 drinks (56 g) per day or more than 14 drinks (196 g) per week for males and more than 3 drinks (42 g) per day or more than 7 drinks (98 g) per week for females.
Of the 21,011 participants with heavy alcohol consumption at baseline included in the study, 14,220 (67.7%) sustained heavy drinking, whereas 6,791 (32.2%) shifted to mild to moderate drinking. During the follow-up of 162,378 person-years, the sustained heavy drinking group experienced a significantly higher incidence of MACEs than the reduced drinking group (817 vs 675 per 100 000 person-years). Reduced alcohol consumption was associated with a 23% reduction in the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events compared with sustained heavy drinking. These benefits were mostly accounted for by a significant reduction in the incidence of angina and ischemic stroke. The preventive attributes of reduced alcohol intake were consistently observed across various subgroups of participants.
The findings of this study provide crucial evidence of the cardiovascular benefits of reducing alcohol consumption in people who drink heavily, the authors state.
Source: Kang DO, Lee D, Roh S, et al. Reduced Alcohol Consumption and Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events Among Individuals With Previously High Alcohol Consumption. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(3):e244013.