title: Alcohol consumption and coronary artery calcium in middle-aged Japanese men.
abstract: Epidemiologic studies have investigated the relation between alcohol intake and coronary calcification, with controversial results. Furthermore, the influence of heavy drinking has not been well elucidated. In the present study, a random sample of community-based Japanese men aged 40 to 49 years without a history of cardiovascular disease (n=245) were examined for coronary artery calcium (CAC) determined by electron-beam computed tomography and drinking status. There was a J-shaped association between alcohol intake and CAC. There was an increase of CAC in heavy drinkers (>or=46 g/day), and participants who were drinking>or=69 g/day showed a significant increase in CAC compared with never drinkers after adjusting for other cardiovascular risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Science, Shiga University of Medical Science, and Department of Medicine, Kohka Public Hospital, Shiga, Japan. tokamura@belle.shiga-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tomonori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okamura
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kadowaki
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sekikawa
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Miyamatsu
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Aiman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El-Saed
authors.forename: Atsunori
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kashiwagi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maegawa
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishio
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takamiya
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kanda
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mitsunami
authors.forename: Yoshikuni
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kita
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Edmundowicz
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tamaki
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tsujita
authors.forename: Lewis H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Kuller
authors.forename: Hirotsugu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ueshima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed