Search resultsAlcohol intake and mortality in middle aged men with diagnosed coronary heart disease
Title
Alcohol intake and mortality in middle aged men with diagnosed coronary heart disease
Publication type
Journal Article
Year of Publication
2000
Authors
Journal
Heart
Volume
83
Issue
4
Pagination
394 - 399
Date published
2000
ISBN
13556037 (ISSN)
Keywords
Adult, alcohol, alcohol consumption, Alcohol Drinking, angina pectoris, article, body mass, cardiovascular disease, cause of death, controlled study, Coronary Disease, Coronary heart disease, elderly care, Follow-Up Studies, Great Britain, heart infarction, human, Humans, ischemic heart disease, lifestyle, major clinical study, male, Middle Aged, mortality, mortality risk, Myocardial Infarction, priority journal, Prospective Studies, prospective study, questionnaire, Risk Factors, smoking cessation, Social Class, United Kingdom
Abstract
Objective - To examine the effects of alcohol on risk of mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD), cardiovascular disease, and all causes in men with established CHD. Methods and results - In a population based prospective study of 7169 men aged 45-64 years followed for a mean of 12.8 years, 655 men (9.1%) had a physician diagnosis of CHD (myocardial infarction 455, angina only 200). In these 655 men, there were 294 deaths from all causes including 175 CHD deaths. Ex-drinkers had the highest risk of CHD, cardiovascular mortality, and all cause mortality even after adjustment for lifestyle characteristics and pre-existing disease. Using occasional drinkers as the reference group, lifelong teetotallers, occasional drinkers, and light drinkers all showed similar risks of mortality from CHD, cardiovascular disease, and all causes. Moderate/heavy drinkers showed increased risk of mortality from CHD, cardiovascular disease, and all causes compared to occasional drinkers. The adverse effect of moderate/heavy drinking was confined to the 455 men with previous myocardial infarction (adjusted relative risk for all cause mortality 1.50, 95% confidence interval 1.01 to 2.23). In contrast to lighter drinking, giving up smoking within five years of the start of follow up was associated with a considerable reduction in risk of all cause and cardiovascular mortality compared to those who continued to smoke. Conclusion - Compared to occasional drinking, regular light alcohol consumption (1-14 units per week) in men with established coronary heart disease is not associated with any significant benefit or deleterious effect for CHD, cardiovascular disease or all cause mortality. Higher levels of intake (≥ 3 drinks per day) are associated with increased mortality in men with previous myocardial infarction. In contrast, smoking cessation in men with established CHD substantially reduces the risk of mortality.