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Alcohol consumption and cardiovascular disease mortality in hypertensive men

Maciej K Malinski1, Howard D Sesso, Francisco Lopez-Jimenez

  • 1St Vincent Hospital, Worcester Medical Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, USA.

Archives of Internal Medicine
|March 24, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Light to moderate alcohol consumption may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in men with hypertension. This study suggests a potential protective effect of moderate drinking on overall mortality for hypertensive individuals.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular epidemiology
  • Alcohol consumption research
  • Hypertension studies

Background:

  • Heavy alcohol consumption is linked to increased blood pressure.
  • Limited data exist on alcohol's impact on mortality in hypertensive individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between light to moderate alcohol intake and mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all causes in men diagnosed with hypertension.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of data from 14,125 hypertensive men in the Physicians' Health Study.
  • Comparison of total and CVD mortality rates between non-drinkers/rare drinkers and light to moderate drinkers.
  • Multivariate adjusted relative risks (RRs) were calculated for CVD and total mortality.

Main Results:

  • Light to moderate alcohol consumption showed a significant reduction in CVD mortality (RR 0.61-0.56) and total mortality (RR 0.72-0.73) compared to rare/non-drinkers.
  • The protective association was observed even in men with higher blood pressure levels (systolic ≥140 mmHg or diastolic ≥90 mmHg).
  • No significant link was found between moderate alcohol intake and cancer mortality.

Conclusions:

  • Light to moderate alcohol consumption appears associated with reduced total and cardiovascular disease mortality in hypertensive men.
  • These findings suggest a potential benefit of moderate drinking for cardiovascular health in this population.
  • Further large-scale studies are needed to confirm these associations.
Abstract

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