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Alcohol consumption and risk of heart failure: a meta-analysis

Heather Padilla1, J Michael Gaziano, Luc Djoussé

  • 1Division of Aging, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02120, USA. hpadilla02@gmail.com

The Physician and Sportsmedicine
|October 21, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Infrequent and light-to-moderate alcohol consumption appears to lower heart failure risk. Heavy drinking was not assessed, but lighter intake showed a protective association in this meta-analysis.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Heart failure (HF) is a prevalent condition in older adults, incurring significant healthcare costs.
  • Identifying modifiable risk factors for HF is crucial for prevention strategies.
  • Alcohol consumption is a known modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, with varying effects based on intake levels.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between different levels of alcohol consumption and the incidence of heart failure.
  • To clarify the relationship between light-to-moderate drinking and heart failure risk.

Main Methods:

  • A meta-analysis was performed, synthesizing data from 6 relevant studies identified via PubMed.
  • Participants were categorized into never, former, and current drinkers.
  • Current drinkers were further stratified by weekly alcohol intake: 0.1–0.9, 1–7, 8–14, and >14 drinks per week.

Main Results:

  • Compared to never drinkers, former drinkers showed a non-significant increased risk (RR 1.16, 95% CI 0.90-1.51).
  • Current drinkers consuming 0.1–0.9 drinks/week had a reduced risk (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.83-0.98).
  • Higher intake levels (1–7, 8–14, >14 drinks/week) also demonstrated a dose-dependent reduction in heart failure risk (RR 0.80, 0.78, 0.77 respectively).

Conclusions:

  • The findings suggest that infrequent and light-to-moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a reduced risk of developing heart failure.
  • These results contribute to understanding alcohol's complex role in cardiovascular health.
Abstract

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