Moderate Alcohol Use Is Associated with Reduced Cardiovascular Risk in Middle-Aged Men Independent of Health, Behavior, Psychosocial, and Earlier Life Factors
We examined whether the often-reported protective association of alcohol with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk could arise from confounding. Our sample comprised 908 men (56-67 years), free of prevalent CVD. Participants were categorized into 6 groups: never drinkers, former drinkers, and very light (1-4 drinks in past 14 days), light (5-14 drinks), moderate (15-28 drinks), and at-risk (>28 drinks) drinkers.
Generalized linear mixed effect models examined the associations of alcohol use with three established CVD risk scores: The Framingham Risk Score (FRS); the atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD) risk score; and the Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) Severity score, adjusting for group differences in demographics, body size, and health-related behaviors. In separate models we additionally adjusted for several groups of potentially explanatory factors including socioeconomic status, social support, physical and mental health status, childhood factors, and prior history of alcohol misuse.
Results showed lower CVD risk among light and moderate alcohol drinkers, relative to very light drinkers, for all CVD risk scores, independent of demographics, body size, and health-related behaviors. Alcohol-CVD risk associations were robust to further adjustment for several groups of potential explanatory factors.
Study limitations include the all-male sample with limited racial and ethnic diversity, and the inability to adjust for sugar consumption and for patterns of alcohol consumption.
Although this observational study does not address causation, results show that middle-aged men who consume alcohol in moderation have lower CVD risk and better cardiometabolic health than men who consume little or no alcohol, independent of a variety of health, behavioral, psychosocial, and earlier life factors.
Additional Info
-
Authors
McEvoy L. K.; Bergstrom J.; Tu X.; Garduno A. C.; Cummins K. M.; Franz C. E.; Lyons M. J.; Reynolds C. A.; Kremen W. S.; Panizzon M. S.; Laughlin G. A. -
Issue
Nutrients . 2022 May 24;14(11):2183 -
Published Date
24 may 2022
Related items
- Cardiovascular disease risk under low-fat, Mediterranean, and American Heart Association diets: a target trial emulation in United States adults
- Link between alcohol consumption and myocardial infarction, stroke, and all-cause mortality among Swedish male automotive workers over 30 years
- Global Geospatial Trends in Breast Cancer and Atrial Fibrillation/Flutter Among Older Women: Uncovering Shared Epidemiological Patterns and Etiological Links
- The interaction of age and total lifetime drinks is associated with regional cortical perfusion and thickness in healthy adults with low-level alcohol consumption
- Target Trial Emulation of Alcohol Intake Interventions in Young Adults and Risk of CVD over 30 years: Data from the CARDIA study