Citation

Baglietto L, English DR, Hopper JL, Powles J, Giles GG. Alcohol Alcohol. 2006; 41(6): 664-671.

Affiliation

Cancer Epidemiology Centre, The Cancer Council of Victoria, Carlton Vic 3053, Melbourne, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/alcalc/agl087

PMID

17050568

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The objective was to investigate associations between average volume of alcohol consumption, type of beverage and drinking pattern and all-cause mortality in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study. METHODS: Average consumption, including type of beverage, was estimated from beverage-specific questions on quantity and frequency of consumption. Pattern of consumption was estimated from a 7-day diary. During an average of 10.5 years of follow-up of 36 984 participants, 1971 deaths occurred. RESULTS: For both men and women, mortality curves were J-shaped (nadir at 9-12 g/day of alcohol consumption; upper protective dose of 42-76 g/day). Wine consumption was associated with lower mortality (for men, minimum hazard ratio (HR) at 20-39 g/day of wine consumption: 0.69; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.54-0.87; for women, minimum HR at 1-19 g/day: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.70-0.98). Beer was associated with an increased risk for men (test for trend, P = 0.05), but not for women. After adjustment for total amount of alcohol consumed, the number of drinking-days was inversely associated with the risk of dying in men (P-trend = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm previous findings about the effect of average volume of alcohol and type of beverage and suggest that drinking pattern is an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality.

Language: en