Alcohol intake and risk of coronary heart disease in younger, middle-aged, and older adults.
BACKGROUND
Light to moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. This protective effect of alcohol, however, may be confined to middle-aged or older individuals. Coronary heart disease incidence is low in men <40 years of age and in women <50 years of age; for this reason, study cohorts rarely have the power to investigate the effects of alcohol on coronary heart disease risk in younger adults. This study examined whether the beneficial effect of alcohol on coronary heart disease depends on age.


RESULTS
In this pooled analysis of 8 prospective studies from North America and Europe including 192,067 women and 74,919 men free of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancers at baseline, average daily alcohol intake was assessed at baseline with a food frequency or diet history questionnaire. An inverse association between alcohol and risk of coronary heart disease was observed in all age groups; hazard ratios among moderately drinking men (5.0 to 29.9 g/d) 39 to 50, 50 to 59, and >or=60 years of age were 0.58 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36 to 0.93), 0.72 (95% CI, 0.60 to 0.86), and 0.85 (95% CI, 0.75 to 0.97) compared with abstainers. However, the analyses indicated a smaller incidence rate difference between abstainers and moderate consumers in younger adults (incidence rate difference, 45 per 100,000; 90% CI, 8 to 84) than in middle-aged (incidence rate difference, 64 per 100,000; 90% CI, 24 to 102) and older (incidence rate difference, 89 per 100,000; 90% CI, 44 to 140) adults. Similar results were observed in women.


CONCLUSIONS
Alcohol is also associated with a decreased risk of coronary heart disease in younger adults; however, the absolute risk was small compared with middle-aged and older adults.
Hvidtfeldt
Ulla A
UA
Centre for Alcohol Research, National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Tolstrup
Janne S
JS
Jakobsen
Marianne U
MU
Heitmann
Berit L
BL
Grønbaek
Morten
M
O'Reilly
Eilis
E
Bälter
Katarina
K
Goldbourt
Uri
U
Hallmans
Göran
G
Knekt
Paul
P
Liu
Simin
S
Pereira
Mark
M
Pietinen
Pirjo
P
Spiegelman
Donna
D
Stevens
June
J
Virtamo
Jarmo
J
Willett
Walter C
WC
Rimm
Eric B
EB
Ascherio
Alberto
A
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires