Type A behavior pattern and alcohol intake in middle-aged men

Eighty-one sedentary but healthy, middle-aged men were studied. Type A behavior pattern (TABP) was determined by "structured interview", and dietary intake was assessed by alcohol questionnaire and 3-day diet record. Type A men reported drinking approximately twice as much alcohol as their non-Type A counterparts (mean +/- SD: 21.7 +/- 18.2 vs. 9.4 +/- 9.1 g of ethanol per day; p = 0.0003), and a strong, positive association between TABP and alcohol intake was found. The TABP-alcohol relationship was not confounded by concomitant differences in income level or years of formal education, and remained highly significant in subsequent analyses of nonsmokers alone. Type As and non-Type As did not differ significantly in their consumption of any other nutrient measured. The association between TABP and alcohol intake may have confounded conclusions from previous studies that focused on one or the other as a risk factor for coronary heart disease.