Excessive Drinking Raises Heart Disease Risk

TOPLINE:

A weekly alcohol intake exceeding the limits recommended by US guidelines was associated with an increased risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) among young and middle-aged men and women. Women had a higher risk for CHD than men, especially when heavy episodic drinking was involved.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted an observational study using data from an integrated healthcare system to examine the association between alcohol intake and the risk for CHD.
• They included 432,265 adults (mean age, 43.5 years; 44% women; 62% non-Hispanic White individuals) who reported their weekly intake levels of alcohol (2src14-2src15).
• Weekly intake of alcohol was categorized as below recommended limits (1-14 drinks for men; 1-7 drinks for women) and above limits (≥ 15 drinks for men; ≥ 8 drinks for women).
• Heavy episodic drinking was defined as consuming five or more drinks for men and four or more drinks for women for at least 1 day in the previous three months.
• The primary outcome was the occurrence of CHD after a median follow-up of 4 years, based on an inpatient diagnosis of the condition or myocardial infarction.

TAKEAWAY:

• Approximately 1src% of participants reported drinking more alcohol than the weekly recommended, and around 22% of participants reported heavy episodic drinking in the previous 3 months.
• Compared with a weekly alcohol intake below the recommended limits, a weekly alcohol intake above the recommended limits was associated with a 26% higher risk for CHD (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.26; 95% CI, 1.13-1.4src).
• Women whose alcohol consumption exceeded the weekly recommended limit had a 43% higher risk for CHD (aHR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.2src-1.71) than those who drank less; for men the risk was 19% higher (aHR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.src4-1.35).
• Overall, any heavy episodic drinking at baseline was not associated with the risk for CHD; however, heavy episodic drinking in the past 3 months combined with a weekly alcohol intake above the recommended limits was associated with a 3src% and 61% higher risk for CHD in men and women, respectively, than that with a weekly alcohol intake below the recommended limits.

IN PRACTICE:

“In a large, real-world, diverse population with a systematic alcohol screening program, having weekly alcohol intake above limits was associated with increased risk of CHD among young and middle-aged men and women. Increased CHD risk due to alcohol intake above limits warrants particular awareness and interventions,” the authors of the study wrote.

“These findings raise the question as to whether adopting absolute or equivalent limits of intake among women compared to men, a movement occurring in some countries, may confer higher health risks on women, particularly in light of the narrowing gap in alcohol-related deaths among women and men in the US,” they added.

SOURCE:

This study was led by Jamal S. Rana, MD, PhD, of The Permanente Medical Group in Oakland, California. It was published online on February 8, 2src25, in The American Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

LIMITATIONS:

The possibility of residual confounding remained despite various adjustments. Alcohol intake was reported for the past 3 months at screening, limiting the ability to establish the temporality of its associations with medical conditions. The reliance on self-reported alcohol intake introduced a potential recall and underreporting bias. The follow-up duration was relatively short, and the generalizability of the findings was limited due to younger study populations.

DISCLOSURES:

This study was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The authors did not report any competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work. 

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.