Moderate alcohol consumption and the risk of sudden cardiac death among US male physicians.
BACKGROUND
Individuals who consume high amounts of alcohol (>5 drinks/d) have increased risks of ventricular arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death (SCD). However, the relationship is less clear for drinkers of light-to-moderate amounts.


RESULTS
We prospectively assessed whether light-to-moderate alcohol drinkers have a decreased risk of SCD among 21 537 male participants in the Physicians Health Study who were free of self-reported cardiovascular disease and provided complete information on alcohol intake at study entry. Over 12 years of follow-up, 141 SCDs were confirmed. After control for multiple confounders, men who consumed 2 to 4 drinks/wk (RR=0.40; 95% CI, 0.22 to 0.75; P=0.004) or 5 to 6 drinks/wk (RR=0.21; 95% CI, 0.08 to 0.56; P=0.002) at baseline had significantly reduced risks of SCD compared with those who rarely or never consumed alcohol. The relationship for SCD was U-shaped (P=0. 002), with the risk approaching unity at >/=2 drinks/d. In contrast, the relationship of alcohol intake and nonsudden CHD death was L-shaped or linear (P for trend=0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
In these prospective data, men who consumed light-to-moderate amounts of alcohol (2 to 6 drinks/wk) had a significantly reduced risk of SCD compared with those who rarely or never consumed alcohol.
Albert
C M
CM
Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02215-1204, USA. cmalbert@bics.bwh.harvard.edu
Manson
J E
JE
Cook
N R
NR
Ajani
U A
UA
Gaziano
J M
JM
Hennekens
C H
CH
D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000150:complications; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk