Alcohol intake and future incidence of hypertension in a general Japanese population: the Hisayama study.
BACKGROUND
The question remains as to whether light to moderate alcohol intake is associated with an increased risk of hypertension.


METHODS
In 1978, a total of 1101 residents (433 men and 668 women) in a subrural community, Hisayama, in Japan, aged 40 years or more, with normal blood pressure, who were free from cardiovascular disease, were enrolled in a 10-year follow-up study. Inquiries regarding regular drinking were made in an interview based on a self-administered questionnaire.


RESULTS
During the follow-up, 101 men and 166 women developed hypertension (blood pressure > or =140/90 mm Hg or use of antihypertensive drugs). The age-adjusted incidence of hypertension among current male drinkers increased significantly even with a light intake of alcohol (<23 g of ethanol per day). In women, the incidence was also significantly higher in drinkers than in nondrinkers. In multivariate analysis, alcohol intake, in addition to age and body mass index, remained a significant independent risk factor for hypertension in men, but not in women. In men, all three categories of current drinking were found to be significant risk factors for the development of hypertension after adjustment for age and body mass index [relative risk (RR), 2.00; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.07-3.76 for light drinking compared with nondrinking; RR, 2.60; 95% CI, 1.50-4.49 for moderate drinking (23-45 g per day); and RR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.26-3.99 for heavy drinking (> or =46 g/day)].


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that alcohol intake, even light drinking, is a predictor of future hypertension among Japanese men.
Ohmori
Susumu
S
Department of Medicine and Clinical Science, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. ohmori-kan@hi-ho.ne.jp
Kiyohara
Yutaka
Y
Kato
Isao
I
Kubo
Michiaki
M
Tanizaki
Yumihiro
Y
Iwamoto
Hiromitsu
H
Nakayama
Keizo
K
Abe
Isao
I
Fujishima
Masatoshi
M
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors