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The Nutrition Source

Alcohol and Heart Disease

Results of some large prospective studies of alcohol consumption and cardiovascular disease

 Name, participants (date of publication) Duration
 Association with moderate alcohol consumption*
Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk cohort: 97,432 men and women aged 40 to 79 (2005) 10 years 12%-20% decreased risk of all-cause mortality in men and women who consumed less than 23 grams per day of alcohol; heavy drinking increased the risk of all-cause mortality (1)
Health Professionals Follow-up Study: 38,077 male health professionals aged 40-75 (2003) 12 years 35% reduced risk of myocardial infarction (2)
Eastern France cohort: 34,014 men and women (1999)

10–15 years

25-30% reduced risk of cardiovascular death (3)
Cancer Prevention Study II: 489,626 men and women aged 30-104 (1997) 9 years 30-40% reduced risk of cardiovascular death; mortality from all causes increased with heavier drinking, particularly among adults under age 60 (4)
Physicians' Health Study: 22,071 male physicians aged 40-84 (1997) 11 years 30-35% reduced risk of angina and myocardial infarction, 20-30% reduced risk of cardiovascular death (5, 6)
Kaiser Permanente cohort: 123,840 men and women aged 30+ (1990) 10 years 40% reduction in fatal myocardial infarction, 20% reduction in cardiovascular mortality; 80% increase in fatal hemorrhagic stroke (7)
Nurses' Health Study: 85,709 female nurses aged 34-59 (1988) 12 years 17% lower risk of all-cause mortality; an earlier report showed a 40% reduction in risk of CHD and 70% reduction in risk of ischemic stroke (8)

* compared with non-drinkers

References 

1. Lin Y, Kikuchi S, Tamakoshi A, et al. Alcohol consumption and mortality among middle-aged and elderly Japanese men and women. Ann Epidemiol. 2005; 15:590-97.

2. Mukamal KJ, Conigrave KM, Mittleman MA, et al. Roles of drinking pattern and type of alcohol consumed in coronary heart disease in men. N Engl J Med. 2003; 348:109-18.

3. Renaud SC, Gueguen R, Siest G, Salamon R. Wine, beer, and mortality in middle-aged men from eastern France. Arch Intern Med. 1999; 159:1865-70.

4. Thun MJ, Peto R, Lopez AD, et al. Alcohol consumption and mortality among middle-aged and elderly U.S. adults. N Engl J Med. 1997; 337:1705-14.

5. Camargo CA, Jr., Hennekens CH, Gaziano JM, Glynn RJ, Manson JE, Stampfer MJ. Prospective study of moderate alcohol consumption and mortality in US male physicians. Arch Intern Med. 1997; 157:79-85.

6. Camargo CA, Jr., Stampfer MJ, Glynn RJ, et al. Prospective study of moderate alcohol consumption and risk of peripheral arterial disease in US male physicians. Circulation. 1997; 95:577-80.

7. Klatsky AL, Armstrong MA, Friedman GD. Risk of cardiovascular mortality in alcohol drinkers, ex-drinkers and nondrinkers. Am J Cardiol. 1990; 66:1237-42.

8. Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA, Willett WC, Speizer FE, Hennekens CH. A prospective study of moderate alcohol consumption and the risk of coronary disease and stroke in women. N Engl J Med. 1988; 319:267-73. 

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