Internationally recognized guidelines for 'sensible' alcohol consumption: is exceeding them actually detrimental to health and social circumstances? Evidence from a population-based cohort study.
BACKGROUND
The health and social impact of drinking in excess of internationally recognized weekly (>21 units in men; >14 units in women) and daily (>4 units in men; >3 units in women) recommendations for 'sensible' alcohol intake are largely unknown.


METHODS
A prospective cohort study of 1551 men and women aged around 55 years in 1988 when typical alcohol consumption was recalled using a 7-day grid. An average of 3.4 years later (1990/92), study participants were re-surveyed (n = 1259; 84.7% of the target population) when they responded to nurse-administered enquiries regarding minor psychiatric morbidity, self-perceived health, hypertension, accidents, overweight/obesity and financial difficulties. Study members were followed up for mortality experience over 18 years.


RESULTS
In fully adjusted analyses, surpassing guidelines for sensible alcohol intake was associated with an increased risk of hypertension [daily guidelines only: P-value(trend): 0.012], financial problems [weekly guidelines: P-value(difference): 0.046] and, to a lesser degree, accidents [weekly guidelines: P-value(difference): 0.065]. There was no association between either indicator of alcohol intake and mortality risk.


CONCLUSIONS
In the present study, there was some evidence for a detrimental effect on health and social circumstances of exceeding current internationally recognized weekly and daily guidelines for alcohol intake.
Batty
G David
GD
Medical Research Council Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8RZ, UK. david-b@sphsu.mrc.ac.uk
Lewars
Heather
H
Emslie
Carol
C
Gale
Catharine R
CR
Hunt
Kate
K
D000059:Accidents / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000523:psychology; D002423:Cause of Death; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors