title: Alcohol consumption for different periods in life, intake pattern over time and all-cause mortality.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Conventionally, cohort studies have assessed the association between alcohol and all-cause mortality by using alcohol intake at enrolment.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study, participants were asked about usual frequency and quantity of beverage-specific alcohol intake for 10-year periods starting at age 20 from which current, past and lifetime intakes were calculated. We used Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios for mortality for 39 577 participants of the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study aged 40-69 at baseline.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After a mean follow-up of 15 years/person, we identified 4639 deaths. Associations between all-cause mortality and lifetime, current (baseline) and past intake were J shaped, with lower mortality at low intake (e.g. <40 g/day for men and 10 g/day for women using lifetime intake) and elevated mortality at higher intake. For men, consistent light-to-moderate drinking (>0-39/>0-39 g/day) from age 20 to baseline age was associated with a 16% lower mortality, while heavy drinking at both ages (≥80/≥40 and ≥40/0 g/day) was associated with higher mortality compared with stable abstinence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings support a reduced mortality risk associated with low-dose drinking but also highlight a higher mortality risk for consistent heavy drinking from a young age.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Harindra
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jayasekara
authors.affiliation: Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia Cancer Epidemiology Centre, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: MacInnis
authors.affiliation: Cancer Epidemiology Centre, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.
authors.forename: Allison M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hodge
authors.affiliation: Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia Cancer Epidemiology Centre, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hopper
authors.affiliation: Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia Cancer Epidemiology Centre, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.
authors.forename: Graham G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Giles
authors.affiliation: Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre, Melbourne, Victoria 3065, Australia Centre for Health and Society, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia Centre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs, Stockholm University, Stockholm SE-106 91, Sweden.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Room
authors.affiliation: Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia Cancer Epidemiology Centre, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.
authors.forename: Dallas R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: English
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D057566:Self Report; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: alcohol consumption; mortality