title: Relationship of alcoholic beverage consumption to food habits in a Mediterranean population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Wine consumption has been related to a reduced cardiovascular risk. This effect has been attributed partly to the healthier diet of wine drinkers. We compared food habits according to alcoholic beverage preference in a Mediterranean population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study of a large sample of participants at high risk for cardiovascular disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary care centers in a Mediterranean country, Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1675 men aged 55 to 80 years old and 2150 women aged 60 to 80 years old who had no documented cardiovascular disease but had either diabetes or at least three major cardiovascular risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A food frequency questionnaire, alcoholic beverage consumption, adherence to Mediterranean diet, age, family history of cardiovascular disease, smoking, body mass index, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and educational level were measured.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed differences in food consumption according to the type of alcoholic beverage preferentially consumed and adjusted the estimates for age, body mass index, cholesterol level, and total energy intake.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found no substantial differences in adherence to the Mediterranean diet according to the main type of alcoholic beverage consumed, and we found no evidence that Mediterranean wine drinkers at high cardiovascular risk have a healthier diet than other drinkers. However, a better dietary pattern was found among nondrinkers than among drinkers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This large, Mediterranean study does not support an association between wine consumption and healthier dietary habits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Navarra C/ Irunlarrea 1 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain 21080. fcdelatorre@alumni.unav.es
authors.forename: Francisco de Asis
authors.initials: Fde A
authors.lastname: Carmona-Torre
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garcia-Arellano
authors.forename: Iva
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marques-Lopes
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Basora
authors.forename: Dolores
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Corella
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gómez-Gracia
authors.forename: Miquel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fiol
authors.forename: María-Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Covas
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aros
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Conde
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lapetra
authors.forename: Ramon
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Estruch
authors.forename: Miguel Angel
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Martinez-Gonzalez
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014920:Wine