title: Average volume of alcohol consumed, type of beverage, drinking pattern and the risk of death from all causes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective was to investigate associations between average volume of alcohol consumption, type of beverage and drinking pattern and all-cause mortality in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Average consumption, including type of beverage, was estimated from beverage-specific questions on quantity and frequency of consumption. Pattern of consumption was estimated from a 7-day diary. During an average of 10.5 years of follow-up of 36 984 participants, 1971 deaths occurred.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For both men and women, mortality curves were J-shaped (nadir at 9-12 g/day of alcohol consumption; upper protective dose of 42-76 g/day). Wine consumption was associated with lower mortality (for men, minimum hazard ratio (HR) at 20-39 g/day of wine consumption: 0.69; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.54-0.87; for women, minimum HR at 1-19 g/day: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.70-0.98). Beer was associated with an increased risk for men (test for trend, P = 0.05), but not for women. After adjustment for total amount of alcohol consumed, the number of drinking-days was inversely associated with the risk of dying in men (P-trend = 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results confirm previous findings about the effect of average volume of alcohol and type of beverage and suggest that drinking pattern is an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Epidemiology Centre, The Cancer Council of Victoria, Carlton Vic 3053, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baglietto
authors.forename: Dallas R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: English
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hopper
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Powles
authors.forename: Graham G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Giles
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D002423:Cause of Death / Q000639:trends; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors