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Drinking pattern and mortality in middle-aged men and women
Janne S Tolstrup1, Majken K Jensen, Anne Tjønneland
1Centre for Alcohol Research, National Institute of Public Health, Copenhagen, Denmark. jst@niph.dk
Addiction (Abingdon, England)
|February 26, 2004
Summary
Alcohol drinking patterns, not just quantity, impact mortality risk. Frequent alcohol consumption is associated with lower mortality compared to infrequent intake, even at similar average amounts.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Alcohol consumption is a significant public health concern.
- Understanding the relationship between alcohol intake patterns and mortality is crucial for effective health guidelines.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prospective association between alcohol drinking patterns and all-cause mortality.
- To determine if the frequency of alcohol intake influences mortality risk independently of the quantity consumed.
Main Methods:
- Population-based cohort study conducted in Denmark from 1993 to 2003.
- Involved 26,909 men and 29,626 women aged 55-65 years.
- Risk estimates for all-cause mortality were calculated based on alcohol quantity and frequency, adjusted for lifestyle factors including diet.
Main Results:
- During follow-up, 1528 men and 915 women died.
- A non-frequent alcohol intake pattern was associated with a higher risk of death compared to a frequent pattern, for the same average alcohol consumption.
- This suggests that the pattern of drinking is a significant factor in alcohol-related mortality.
Conclusions:
- The pattern of alcohol consumption, in addition to the total amount, plays a critical role in the association with mortality.
- Public health guidelines on sensible alcohol consumption should incorporate recommendations on drinking patterns alongside quantity.
- This research highlights the importance of nuanced messaging for public health interventions related to alcohol use.