title: Alcohol consumption and risk of stroke and coronary heart disease among Japanese women: the Japan Public Health Center-based prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study aims to examine the association between a wide range of alcohol consumption and risk of stroke and coronary heart disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Japan Public Health Center-based prospective study was initiated in 1990 in Cohort I and in 1993 in Cohort II, with follow-up until 2009. The sample consisted of 47,100 women aged 40-69 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During an average of 16.7-years, the incidence of 1846 strokes and 292 coronary heart diseases was observed. Heavy drinking (≥ 300 gethanol/week) was associated with increased risk of total stroke. The multivariable hazard ratios for heavy versus occasional drinkers were 2.19 (95% confidence interval: 1.45-3.30) for total stroke, 2.25 (1.29-3.91) for hemorrhagic stroke, 2.24 (1.05-4.76) for intraparenchymal hemorrhage, 2.26 (1.01-5.09) for subarachnoid hemorrhage and 2.04 (1.09-3.82) for ischemic stroke. In the exposure-updated analysis, the positive association between heavy drinking and risks of total stroke, hemorrhagic stroke and intraparenchymal hemorrhage became more evident. Light drinking (<150 gethanol/week) was not associated with risk of ischemic stroke. There was also no association between alcohol consumption and risk of coronary heart disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Heavy drinking was associated with increased risk of hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes among Japanese women.
authors.affiliation: Public Health, Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoyo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ikehara
authors.forename: Hiroyasu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iso
authors.forename: Kazumasa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamagishi
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kokubo
authors.forename: Isao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yatsuya
authors.forename: Manami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Shoichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsugane
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*
keywords: Alcohol consumption; Coronary heart disease; Follow-up study; Incidence; Stroke