Cited by 1,610Alcohol Consumption and Health EffectsSubstance Abuse Treatment and OutcomesCoffee research and impacts

Association of alcohol consumption with selected cardiovascular disease outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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Ronksley, P. E., Brien, S. E., Turner, B. J., Mukamal, K. J., Ghali, W. A.·2011·BMJ

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of studies assessing the effect of alcohol consumption on multiple cardiovascular outcomes. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: A search of Medline (1950 through September 2009) and Embase (1980 through September 2009) supplemented by manual searches of bibliographies and conference proceedings. Inclusion criteria Prospective cohort studies on the association between alcohol consumption and overall mortality from cardiovascular disease, incidence of and mortality from coronary heart disease, and incidence of and mortality from stroke. Studies reviewed Of 4235 studies reviewed for eligibility, quality, and data extraction, 84 were included in the final analysis. RESULTS: The pooled adjusted relative risks for alcohol drinkers relative to non-drinkers in random effects models for the outcomes of interest were 0.75 (95% confidence interval 0.70 to 0.80) for cardiovascular disease mortality (21 studies), 0.71 (0.66 to 0.77) for incident coronary heart disease (29 studies), 0.75 (0.68 to 0.81) for coronary heart disease mortality (31 studies), 0.98 (0.91 to 1.06) for incident stroke (17 studies), and 1.06 (0.91 to 1.23) for stroke mortality (10 studies). Dose-response analysis revealed that the lowest risk of coronary heart disease mortality occurred with 1-2 drinks a day, but for stroke mortality it occurred with ≤1 drink per day. Secondary analysis of mortality from all causes showed lower risk for drinkers compared with non-drinkers (relative risk 0.87 (0.83 to 0.92)). CONCLUSIONS: Light to moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a reduced risk of multiple cardiovascular outcomes.

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Authors
Ronksley, P. E., Brien, S. E., Turner, B. J., Mukamal, K. J., & Ghali, W. A.
Affiliations
  • University of Calgary (CA)
  • The University of Texas at San Antonio Health Science Center (US)
  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (US)
Corresponding author
Ghali, W. A.
Venue
BMJ
Publisher
BMJ
Published
2011-02-22
Volume
342
Issue
feb22 1
Pages
d671-d671
ISSN
  • 0007-1447 (ISSN-L)
  • 0959-8138
  • 1468-5833
OpenAlex
W2109129984
Cited by
1,610
References
133
Citations by year
2026: 61 · 2025: 71 · 2024: 96 · 2023: 93 · 2022: 107 · 2021: 111 · 2020: 128 · 2019: 125 · 2018: 116 · 2017: 116 · 2016: 114 · 2015: 145 · 2014: 102 · 2013: 97 · 2012: 97
FWCI
13.12
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc
Locations
  • BMJ (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
  • Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale
  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Alcohol Consumption and Health Effects
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Coffee research and impacts
Keywords
alcohol consumption, cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular mortality, coronary artery disease, stroke, stroke mortality, dose-response relationship, light to moderate drinking, all-cause mortality, health effects of alcohol
MeSH terms
Alcohol Drinking, Cardiovascular Diseases, Cause of Death, Coronary Disease, Humans, Prognosis, Prospective Studies, Risk Factors, Incidence, Stroke

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