Binge drinking and the progression of atherosclerosis in middle-aged men: an 11-year follow-up.
OBJECTIVE
There is limited knowledge on drinking patterns and the progression of atherosclerosis. Previous studies have shown conflicting results between alcohol consumption and atherosclerotic progression. We investigated the association between the pattern of binge drinking and the 11-year progression of carotid atherosclerosis in a population-based sample of middle-aged men.


RESULTS
This study is a part of the FinDrink Study, based on the Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study. We investigated the effect of drinking patterns on the changes in maximum and mean intima-media thickness, including changes in maximum plaque height in 751 participants as measured by carotid ultrasound. The increased atherosclerosis progression was statistically significant among those men with binge drinking of >or=6 drinks per session (22.4% of total number of participants) using different covariates in different models according to the mean increase in maximum intima-media thickness (Model 1, p=0.008; Model 2, p=0.031, Model 3, p=0.037) and the mean increase in maximum plaque height (Model 1, p=0.002; Model 2, p=0.012, Model 3, p=0.017).


CONCLUSIONS
Our study shows that binge drinking was associated with an increased atherosclerosis progression during an 11-year follow-up in middle-aged men, independent of the total alcohol consumption.
Rantakömi
Sanna H
SH
Research Institute of Public Health, School of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland.
Laukkanen
Jari A
JA
Kurl
Sudhir
S
Kauhanen
Jussi
J
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005387:Finland; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors