title: Alcohol consumption and cardiovascular risk in hypertensives with left ventricular hypertrophy: the LIFE study.
abstract: The Losartan Intervention For End point reduction in hypertension (LIFE) study showed superiority of losartan over atenolol for reduction of composite risk of cardiovascular death, stroke, and myocardial infarction in hypertensives with left ventricular hypertrophy. We compared hazard ratios (HR) in 4287 and 685 participants who reported intakes of 1-7 and >8 drinks/week at baseline, respectively, with those in 4216 abstainers, adjusting for gender, age, smoking, exercise, and race. Within categories, clinical baseline characteristics, numbers randomized to losartan and atenolol, and blood pressure (BP) lowering were similar on the drug regimens. Overall BP control (<140/90 mmHg) at end of follow-up was similar in the categories. Composite end point rate was lower with 1-7 (24/1000 years; HR 0.87, P<0.05) and >8 drinks/week (26/1000 years; HR 0.80, NS) than in abstainers (27/1000 years). Myocardial infarction risk was reduced in both drinking categories (HR 0.76, P<0.05 and HR 0.29, P<0.001, respectively), while stroke risk tended to increase with >8 drinks/week (HR 1.21, NS). Composite risk was significantly reduced with losartan compared to atenolol only in abstainers (HR 0.81 95% confidence interval, CI (0.68, 0.96), P<0.05), while benefits for stroke risk reduction were similar among participants consuming 1-7 drinks/week (HR 0.73, P<0.05) and abstainers (HR 0.72, P<0.01). Despite different treatment benefits, alcohol-treatment interactions were nonsignificant. In conclusion, moderate alcohol consumption does not change the marked stroke risk reduction with losartan compared to atenolol in high-risk hypertensives. Alcohol reduces the risk of myocardial infarction, while the risk of stroke tends to increase with high intake.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Ullevaal University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. henrik.reims@ioks.uio.no
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Reims
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Kjeldsen
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Brady
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dahlöf
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Devereux
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Julius
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Beevers
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: De Faire
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fyhrquist
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ibsen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kristianson
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lederballe-Pedersen
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Lindholm
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Nieminen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Omvik
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oparil
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wedel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001262:Atenolol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D019808:Losartan / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D001262:Atenolol; D019808:Losartan