title: Alcohol drinking pattern and risk of alcoholic liver cirrhosis: a prospective cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Alcohol is the main contributing factor of alcoholic cirrhosis, but less is known about the significance of drinking pattern.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the risk of alcoholic cirrhosis among 55,917 participants (aged 50-64 years) in the Danish Cancer, Diet, and Health study (1993-2011). Baseline information on alcohol intake, drinking pattern, and confounders was obtained from a questionnaire. Follow-up information came from national registers. We calculated hazard ratios (HRs) for alcoholic cirrhosis in relation to drinking frequency, lifetime alcohol amount, and beverage type.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed 257 and 85 incident cases of alcoholic cirrhosis among men and women, respectively, none among lifetime abstainers. In men, HR for alcoholic cirrhosis among daily drinkers was 3.65 (95% CI: 2.39; 5.55) compared to drinking 2-4 days/week. Alcohol amount in recent age periods (40-49 and 50-59 years) was associated with an increased risk, whereas the amount in 20-29 and 30-39 years was not. In men drinking 14-28 drinks/week, HR was 7.47 (95% CI: 1.68; 33.12), 3.12 (95% CI: 1.53; 6.39), and 1.69 (95% CI: 0.79; 3.65) in drinkers of little (<1% of weekly amount), some (1-15%), and mostly wine (50-100%), compared to drinking <14 drinks/week. In general, results were similar for women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In men, daily drinking was associated with an increased risk of alcoholic cirrhosis. Recent alcohol consumption rather than earlier in life was associated with risk of alcoholic cirrhosis. Compared to beer and liquor, wine might be associated with a lower risk of alcoholic cirrhosis.
authors: Department of Hepatology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen DK-2100, Denmark; National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen DK-1353, Denmark. Electronic address: gask@dadlnet.dk.
authors: Gro
authors: G
authors: Askgaard
authors: National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen DK-1353, Denmark.
authors: Morten
authors: M
authors: Grønbæk
authors: Department of Hepatology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen DK-2100, Denmark.
authors: Mette S
authors: MS
authors: Kjær
authors: Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen DK-2100, Denmark.
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Tjønneland
authors: National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen DK-1353, Denmark.
authors: Janne S
authors: JS
authors: Tolstrup
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000145:classification; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Alcohol; Alcoholic beverages; Cohort study; Drinking pattern; Epidemiological methods; Liver cirrhosis