Association of change in alcohol consumption with cardiovascular disease and mortality among initial nondrinkers

A burden of proof study on alcohol consumption and ischemic heart disease

Cohort and case-control data have suggested an association between low to moderate alcohol consumption and decreased risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD), yet results from Mendelian randomization (MR) studies designed to reduce bias have shown either no or a harmful association. Here we conducted an updated systematic review and re-evaluated existing cohort, case-control, and MR data using the burden of proof meta-analytical framework. Cohort and case-control data show low to moderate alcohol consumption is associated with decreased IHD risk - specifically, intake is inversely related to IHD and myocardial infarction morbidity in both sexes and IHD mortality in males - while pooled MR data show no association, confirming that self-reported versus genetically predicted alcohol use data yield conflicting findings about the alcohol-IHD relationship. Our results highlight the need to advance MR methodologies and emulate randomized trials using large observational databases to obtain more definitive answers to this critical public health question.

Reduced Alcohol Consumption and Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events Among Individuals With Previously High Alcohol Consumption

Importance

Cardiovascular benefits of mild to moderate alcohol consumption need to be validated in the context of behavioral changes. The benefits of reduced alcohol consumption among people who drink heavily across different subtypes of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are unclear.

Objective

To investigate the association between reduced alcohol consumption and risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in individuals who drink heavily across different CVD subtypes.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study analyzed data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening database and self-reported questionnaires. The nationally representative cohort comprised Korean citizens aged 40 to 79 years who had national health insurance coverage on December 31, 2002, and were included in the 2002 to 2003 National Health Screening Program. People who drank heavily who underwent serial health examinations over 2 consecutive periods (first period: 2005-2008; second period: 2009-2012) were included and analyzed between February and May 2023. Heavy drinking was defined as more than 4 drinks (56 g) per day or more than 14 drinks (196 g) per week for males and more than 3 drinks (42 g) per day or more than 7 drinks (98 g) per week for females.

Exposures

Habitual change in heavy alcohol consumption during the second health examination period. People who drank heavily at baseline were categorized into 2 groups according to changes in alcohol consumption during the second health examination period as sustained heavy drinking or reduced drinking.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was the occurrence of MACEs, a composite of nonfatal myocardial infarction or angina undergoing revascularization, any stroke accompanied by hospitalization, and all-cause death.

Results

Of the 21 011 participants with heavy alcohol consumption at baseline (18 963 males [90.3%]; mean [SD] age, 56.08 [6.16] years) included in the study, 14 220 (67.7%) sustained heavy drinking, whereas 6791 (32.2%) shifted to mild to moderate drinking. During the follow-up of 162 378 person-years, the sustained heavy drinking group experienced a significantly higher incidence of MACEs than the reduced drinking group (817 vs 675 per 100 000 person-years; log-rank P = .003). Reduced alcohol consumption was associated with a 23% lower risk of MACEs compared with sustained heavy drinking (propensity score matching hazard ratio [PSM HR], 0.77; 95% CI, 0.67-0.88). These benefits were mostly accounted for by a significant reduction in the incidence of angina (PSM HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.51-0.97) and ischemic stroke (PSM HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.51-0.86). The preventive attributes of reduced alcohol intake were consistently observed across various subgroups of participants.

Conclusions and Relevance

Results of this cohort study suggest that reducing alcohol consumption is associated with a decreased risk of future CVD, with the most pronounced benefits expected for angina and ischemic stroke.

Associations of cholecystectomy with metabolic health changes and incident cardiovascular disease: a retrospective cohort study

Although some studies conducted about the risk of cholecystectomy and cardiovascular disease, there was a limit to explaining the relationship. We investigated the short-term and long-term relationship between cholecystectomy and cardiovascular disease, and evidence using the elements of the metabolic index as an intermediate step. It was a retrospective cohort study and we used the National Health Insurance Service database of South Korea between 2002 and 2015. Finally, 5,210 patients who underwent cholecystectomy and 49,457 at 1:10 age and gender-matched controls of subjects were collected. The main results was estimated by Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for risk of cardiovascular disease after cholecystectomy. Regarding short-term effects of cholecystectomy, increased risk of cardiovascular disease (aHR 1.35, 95% CI 1.15-1.58) and coronary heart disease (aHR 1.77, 95% CI 1.44-2.16) were similarly seen within 2 years of surgery. When analyzing the change in metabolic risk factors, cholecystectomy was associated with a change in systolic blood pressure (adjusted mean [aMean]: 1.51, 95% CI: [- 1.50 to - 4.51]), total cholesterol (aMean - 14.14, [- 20.33 to 7.95]) and body mass index (aMean - 0.13, [- 0.37 to 0.11]). Cholecystectomy patients had elevated risk of cardiovascular disease in the short-term, possibly due to the characteristics of the patient before surgery. The association of cholecystectomy and cardiovascular disease has decreased after 2 years in patients who underwent cholecystectomy, suggesting that because of improvement of metabolic health, cholecystectomy-associated elevation of cardiovascular disease risk may be ameliorated 2 years after cholecystectomy.

Adherence to Cancer Prevention Guidelines and Cancer Incidence and Mortality: A Population-Based Cohort Study

PURPOSE

This study aimed to estimate the risk of cancer incidence and mortality according to adherence to lifestyle-related cancer prevention guidelines.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Men and women who participated in the general health screening program in 2002 and 2003 provided by the National Health Insurance Service were included (n=8,325,492). Self-reported smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity habits and directly measured body mass index were collected. The participants were followed up until the date of cancer onset or death or 31 December 2018. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to evaluate the hazard ratio (HR) for cancer incidence and mortality according to different combinations of lifestyle behaviors.

RESULTS

Only 6% of men and 15% of women engaged in healthy behavior at baseline, such as not smoking, not drinking alcohol, being moderately or highly physically active, and within a normal body mass index range. Compared to the best combination of healthy lifestyle behaviors, the weak and moderate associations with increased all cancer incidence (HR < 1.7) and mortality (HR < 2.5) were observed in those with heavy alcohol consumption and in former or current smokers. HRs of cancer mortality were significantly increased among current smokers in most combinations.

CONCLUSION

Compared to full adherence to cancer prevention recommendations, unhealthy behaviors increase cancer risk. As few people meet these recommendations, there is a great opportunity for cancer prevention.

Association of Change in Alcohol Consumption With Risk of Ischemic Stroke

BACKGROUND

The effect of serial change in alcohol consumption on stroke risk has been limitedly evaluated. We investigated the association of change in alcohol consumption with risk of stroke.

METHODS

This study is a population-based retrospective cohort study from National Health Insurance Service database of all Koreans. Four lakh five hundred thirteen thousand seven hundred forty-six participants aged ≥40 years who underwent 2 subsequent national health examinations in both 2009 and 2011. Alcohol consumption was assessed by average alcohol intake (g/day) based on self-questionnaires and categorized into non-, mild, moderate, and heavy drinking. Change in alcohol consumption was defined by shift of category from baseline. Cox proportional hazards model was used with adjustment for age, sex, smoking status, regular exercise, socioeconomic information, and comorbidities, Charlson Comorbidity Index, systolic blood pressure, and laboratory results. Subgroup analysis among those with the third examination was conducted to reflect further change in alcohol consumption.

RESULTS

During 28 424 497 person-years of follow-up, 74 923 ischemic stroke events were identified. Sustained mild drinking was associated with a decreased risk of ischemic stroke (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.86-0.90]) compared with sustained nondrinking, whereas sustained heavy drinking was associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.06 [95% CI, 1.02-1.10]). Increasing alcohol consumption was associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.11 [95% CI, 1.06-1.17] from mild to moderate; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.28 [95% CI, 1.19-1.38] from mild to heavy) compared with sustained mild drinkers. Reduction of alcohol consumption from heavy to mild level was associated with 17% decreased risk of ischemic stroke through 3× of examinations.

CONCLUSIONS

Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a decreased risk of ischemic stroke, although it might be not causal and could be impacted by sick people abstaining from drinking. Reduction of alcohol consumption from heavy drinking is associated with a decreased risk of ischemic stroke.

Cardiovascular diseases mortality and alcohol control policy in Lithuania: exploring a possible link

Background

Lithuania possesses one of the highest alcohol per capita consumption and has previously implemented alcohol control policies to reduce the alcohol-attributable burden. The aim of this study was to investigate Lithuanian cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality rate trends between 2001 and 2018 and to explore a possible link between CVD mortality rate and alcohol control policy implementation.

Methods

Lithuanian population mortality and alcohol consumption data for 2001–2018 were obtained from Statistics Lithuania and The State Register of Death Cases and Their Causes, Institute of Hygiene. Sex-specific CVD mortality rates were directly standardized to the European standard population by five-year age groups and categorized according to the ICD-10 codes for all CVDs (I00-I99), ischemic heart disease (IHD) (I20-I25), cerebrovascular diseases (I60-I69) and alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM) (I42.6). Joinpoint regression analyses were performed to identify points of inflection to explore their alignment with five selected alcohol policy enactments.

Results

Overall, the 2001–2018 yearly mortality rates for all CVDs significantly decreased on average by − 1.6% (95% CI -2.0, − 1.2%) among men and − 2.1% (95% CI -2.5, − 1.8%) among women. Yearly changes in all CVDs, IHD, cerebrovascular diseases and ACM mortality rates were insignificant prior to their respective critical year points in 2006, 2005, 2008 and 2007, but significantly decreased afterwards by an average of − 2.4% (95% CI -2.7, − 2.0%), − 1.6% (95% CI -2.1, − 1.1%), − 1.2% (95 CI -1.7, − 0.6%) and − 4.5% (95% CI -7.3, − 1.6%) among men, and by − 2.7% (95% CI -3.0, − 2.3%), − 2.0% (95% CI -2.6, − 1.4%), − 1.8% (95% CI 2.4, − 1.3%) and − 6.6% (95% CI -10.7, − 2.2%) among women, respectively. The changes in the mortality rate trends for all CVDs, IHD, cerebrovascular diseases and especially ACM coincided with alcohol policies enacted on the January 1, 2008, January 1, 2009, April 1, 2014 and March 1, 2017.

Conclusions

Yearly mortality rates for all CVDs, IHD, cerebrovascular diseases and ACM have declined in Lithuania between 2001 and 2018, and declining trends were more prominent in women than in men. Among the ICD-10 CVD categories investigated, the points of inflection identified for the ACM mortality rate trend coincided best with the selected alcohol policy enactment dates.