Predictors of hangover during a week of heavy drinking on holiday

Aims To investigate predictors of hangover during a week of heavy drinking in young adults. Design Observational prospective study. Methods A total of 112 young Danish tourists were interviewed on three occasions during their holiday. They completed the Acute Hangover Scale and answered questions about their alcohol consumption and rest duration. The incidence of hangover was analysed as the proportion of heavy drinkers (i.e. those reporting drinking more than 12 standard units of alcohol during the night before) scoring above the 90th percentile of light drinkers (i.e. those who had consumed fewer than seven standard units the night before). We estimated the course and predictors of hangover using random effects regression. Results The incidence of hangover was 68% after drinking more than 12 standard units in the whole sample. The severity of hangover increased significantly during a week of heavy drinking and there was a time × number of drinks interaction, indicating that the impact of alcohol consumed on hangover became more pronounced later in the week. Levels of drinking before the holiday did not predict hangover. Conclusions Hangovers after heavy drinking during holidays appear to be related both to amount drunk and time into the holiday.     

Carbohydrate-Deficient Transferrin During 3 Weeks' Heavy Alcohol Consumption

To study the effect of controlled heavy drinking of 60 g ethanol/day for 3 weeks on carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT), a commercial double antibody kit (CDTect™) was used. By the end of the third drinking week, a statistically significant increase in the mean CDT level was observed. When compared to AST and γ-glutamyltransferase, CDT was a more informative marker. However, only in 2 of the 10 volunteers did CDT exceed the upper normal level (20 units/liter) recommended by the manufacturer. This indicates that the sensitivity of CDT to detect heavy drinking is lower than that previously reported. The higher accuracy has in general been obtained in studies comparing healthy controls with a low alcohol consumption to alcoholics with an alcohol consumption higher than that used in the present experiment. Our results suggest that it remains to be established whether CDT, although better than AST and γ-glutamyltransferase, will provide a clinically useful tool in identifying heavy drinkers in populations covering a wide range of alcohol consumption.     

Alcohol consumption and mortality and hospital admissions in men from the Midspan Collaborative cohort study

Aims To investigate the relationships between alcohol consumption and mortality and morbidity risk by specific causes. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Twenty‐seven work‐places in West and Central Scotland. Participants A total of 6000 men aged 21–64 years at screening in 1970–1973, median follow‐up 29 years. Measurements Relative rates, using Cox's proportional hazard models, by weekly reported units of alcohol consumption for all cause, coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, respiratory, digestive, liver disease and alcohol‐related causes of mortality and for specific causes of acute hospital admissions. Findings Mortality risk was increased for men drinking 15–21 or more units per week for all causes, stroke, liver disease and alcohol‐related causes. For respiratory mortality, drinkers of 35 or more units had double the risk compared to non‐drinkers. CHD mortality showed increasing trends with consumption when adjusted for age and after full adjustment showed no clear patterns, although the 8–14 units group had a lower risk than non‐drinkers [relative rate 0.81 (0.68–0.97)]. Hospital admissions had similar patterns to mortality for stroke and liver disease. Increased risk began at 8–14 units for alcohol‐related admissions, and at 15–21 units for respiratory admissions. Non‐drinkers had higher risks of having a CHD admission than drinkers and there were decreasing trends with increasing consumption (P = 0.019). Conclusions Consumption of 15–21 units per week and over was associated with increased mortality from most causes and increased risk of hospital admissions from stroke, liver disease and respiratory diseases. Alcohol‐related admissions were raised from 8 to 14 units. Alcohol use may have been under‐reported in our study, but it was similar to other studies of the time. The apparent protective effect of alcohol with CHD admissions could be due partly to detrimental effects of heavy drinking causing sudden deaths. The associations, including that with respiratory disease, may arise from inadequate adjustment for confounding by other factors such as smoking.     

Alcohol Use and Dependence among Employed Men and Women in the United States in 1988

This paper provides estimates of alcohol consumption and alcohol dependence among employed men and women in the United States. Data from the 1988 National Health Interview Survey indicate that the percentages of drinkers in white-collar occupations are higher than the percentages of drinkers in blue-collar occupations among both men and women; however, the men and women in blue-collar occupations who drink have a higher average daily consumption than drinkers in white-collar occupations. DSM-III-R criteria were used to classify respondents as alcohol-dependent. Consistent with an earlier survey of employed adults in Detroit, the prevalence of alcohol dependence is highest in certain blue-collar occupations (craftsmen, laborers, and service workers among men; machine operators, laborers, and service workers among women). Directions for further research on the occupational and drinking experiences of employed men and women are discussed.     

Carbohydrate-Deficient Transferrin (CDT) in Serum as a Possible Indicator of Heavy Drinking in Young University Students

Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) in serum was studied as a possible marker of heavy drinking in a sample of 187 female and 102 male 1st year university students from Finland. CDT was measured by a new radioimmunoassay (Pharmacia CDT RIA). Alcohol consumption was measured on a quantity-frequency scale. For female students CDT was 18.2 +/- 0.45 units/liter (mean +/- SEM) and for male students 13.3 +/- 0.48 units/liter. 9.6% of female students and 7.8% of male students had elevated CDT with a cut-off level of 26 units/liter for females and 20 units/liter for males. The correlation between CDT and reported alcohol consumption was 0.30 (p less than 0.001) for females and 0.25 (p = 0.014) for males. Those reporting a consumption of at least 10 kg of pure ethanol per year were considered as heavy drinkers (3.7% of females and 22.5% of males). In female students the average CDT of heavy drinkers did not differ significantly from that of social drinkers but in teetotalers CDT was significantly (p less than 0.03) lower than in female alcohol users. In male students the average CDT of heavy drinkers was higher than the average of social drinkers (p less than 0.1) and significantly higher than the average of teetotalers (p less than 0.001). In the detection of heavy drinking among male students elevated CDT had a specificity of 96.2% and a sensitivity of 21.7%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Relationship Between Age and Drinking Patterns and Drinking Problems Among Japanese, Japanese-Americans, and Caucasians

Comparing alcohol consumption patterns by age and gender among Japanese in Japan and Japanese-Americans and Caucasians in the United States, this study examined the associations between age and both heavy drinking and social problems using logistic regression for each ethnic group of male current drinkers. As reported in previous studies of Caucasians, men drink more alcohol than women, older respondents are more likely than younger ones to be abstainers, and the percentages of heavier drinkers and problem drinkers are higher among the young than among older people. Although Japanese-Americans reported consuming less alcohol than Caucasians, their drinking patterns by age were similar:among both United States populations, younger respondents are at higher risk for drinking problems than older respondents, even when alcohol consumption and sociodemographic variables are controlled by logistic regression. However, this association of age and drinking patterns and drinking problems is not universal. Japanese men consumed more alcohol and had a higher proportion of heavier drinkers in the middle age groups; the association between age and drinking problems also varied in this group. In addition to aging, sociocultural factors such as drinking norms probably account for the differences in drinking behavior among different age groups. This study may stimulate further cross-cultural comparison of drinking patterns and problems.     

Association of Moderate Consumption of Alcohol With Rates of Heavy Drinking and Abstinence in Spain

BACKGROUND: Moderate consumption of alcohol reduces general mortality among middle-aged and elderly persons through a reduction in cardiovascular risk. Furthermore, higher consumption of wine is associated with lower cardiovascular mortality in northern Spain. This information may be used to promote moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages in Spain. However, alcohol consumption is influenced by the drinking habits of the individual's social environment. Therefore, we examine the relation between average consumption of alcohol and the prevalence of heavy drinkers, who most often have adverse effects from alcohol, and the prevalence of abstainers, who do not benefit from alcohol, in Spain. METHODS: Spain's 17 administrative regions are the units of analysis. Alcohol consumption data were taken from the 1993 National Health Survey. Data were analyzed using weighted correlation coefficients and linear regression. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Mean alcohol consumption among moderate drinkers showed a positive correlation with the proportions of men (r = 0.63; p = 0.007) and women (r = 0.58; p = 0.015) whose alcohol intake was above the 90th percentile of consumption distribution. Similar results were yielded when median rather than mean consumption was used, and when heavy drinking was defined as the consumption of 210 g and 140 g of alcohol per week, in men and women, respectively. The association also was observed across all ages and all types of beverages. However, no statistically significant association was seen between mean and median alcohol consumption and the proportion of abstainers. SIGNIFICANCE: Moderate consumption of alcohol is associated with the prevalence of heavy drinkers in all regions of Spain. Therefore, promotion of moderate consumption of alcohol in Spain might be associated with a rise in the prevalence of heavy drinkers, those who most frequently suffer the harmful effects of alcohol.     

The discriminant validity of alcohol use disorder in well-functioning men with hazardous alcohol use

The purpose of this study was to establish the discriminant validity of alcohol use disorder (AUD) diagnoses within a population of well-functioning male heavy drinkers. A group of 57 subjects with a consumption of at least 28 alcoholic units (AU)/week was recruited from wine-tasting clubs. Within this group, a comparison was made between those individuals who met the criteria of AUD and those who did not. We compared the subjective and objective health status and drinking habits of both groups. No significant differences were found between the individuals with AUD and those without AUD, or between individuals with alcohol dependence and those without AUD, except for their drinking pattern. These findings raise doubt of the discriminant validity of AUD diagnoses in well-educated heavy wine drinkers.     

Characteristics of malt liquor beer drinkers in a low-income, racial minority community sample

BACKGROUND: The authors describe and compare drinking patterns among malt liquor beer (MLB), regular beer (RB), and hard liquor (HL) drinkers in a low-income, racial/ethnic minority community. METHODS: Drinkers were recruited from randomly selected alcohol outlets in South Los Angeles. Respondents were assessed on sociodemographic characteristics, alcohol use history, drinking patterns, and drinking context among other items in a face-to-face interview with research staff. RESULTS: Three hundred twenty-nine drinkers were interviewed, of whom 297 reported drinking MLB, RB, or HL brands of alcohol most often in the past 90 days. This subsample was 88% African-American, 72% male, and 35% unemployed. As compared with RB and HL drinkers, MLB drinkers were more likely to be homeless, to receive public assistance for housing, and to be unemployed. MLB drinkers also reported significantly higher rates of daily or near-daily drinking (74%, as compared with 48% for RB and 29% for HL) of drinks per day on drinking days (5.2, as compared with 4.2 for RB and 3.1 for HL), and daily average ethanol consumption (6.97 oz, as compared with 2.13 oz for RB drinkers and 6.13 oz for HL drinkers). In multinomial regression analysis that controlled for potential confounders, the odds of preferring RB as compared with MLB were significantly increased among persons with blue-collar occupations and those who reported drinking in public settings and were reduced among persons who drank outdoors, those who combined drinking with tobacco smoking, and those who drank alcohol with members of the same sex. Average daily ethanol consumption odds were reduced for RB drinkers as compared with MLB drinkers. The odds of preferring HL as compared with MLB were significantly increased for persons with white-collar occupations and those who drank in public settings and were reduced for persons who drank outdoors and those who combined drinking and smoking. CONCLUSION: The authors observed substantial differences in sociodemographic characteristics, drinking patterns, and ethanol consumption by beverage type in this community sample. MLB drinkers seem to have distinctive drinking patterns that require additional study to determine whether this pattern is associated with increased individual or community risk.     

Alcohol Consumption Among Older Adults in Primary Care

Background Alcohol misuse is a growing public health concern for older adults, particularly among primary care patients. Objectives To determine alcohol consumption patterns and the characteristics associated with at-risk drinking in a large sample of elderly primary care patients. Design Cross-sectional analysis of multisite screening data from 6 VA Medical Centers, 2 hospital-based health care networks, and 3 Community Health Centers. Participants Patients, 43,606, aged 65 to 103 years, with scheduled primary care appointments were approached for screening; 27,714 (63.6%) consented to be screened. The final sample of persons with completed screens comprised 24,863 patients. Measurements Quantity and frequency of alcohol use, demographics, social support measures, and measures of depression/anxiety. Results Of the 24,863 older adults screened, 70.0% reported no consumption of alcohol in the past year, 21.5% were moderate drinkers (1–7 drinks/week), 4.1% were at-risk drinkers (8–14 drinks/week), and 4.5% were heavy (>14 drinks/week) or binge drinkers. Heavy drinking showed significant positive association with depressive/anxiety symptoms [Odds ratio (OR) (95% CI): 1.79 (1.30, 2.45)] and less social support [OR (95% CI): 2.01 (1.14, 2.56)]. Heavy drinking combined with binging was similarly positively associated with depressive/anxiety symptoms [OR (95%): 1.70 (1.33, 2.17)] and perceived poor health [OR (95% CI): 1.27 (1.03, 1.57)], while at-risk drinking was not associated with any of these variables. Conclusions The majority of participants were nondrinkers; among alcohol users, at-risk drinkers did not differ significantly from moderate drinkers in their characteristics or for the 3 health parameters evaluated. In contrast, heavy drinking was associated with depression and anxiety and less social support, and heavy drinking combined with binge drinking was associated with depressive/anxiety symptoms and perceived poor health.     

The economic costs of alcohol-related absenteeism and reduced productivity among the working population of New Zealand

Lost productivity accounts for a significant proportion of the total cost of alcohol. This study quantifies the costs associated with alcohol consumption using survey data collected from four alcohol surveys conducted in Auckland between November 1990 to May 1992. The total sample size was 4662, of which 2638 were drinkers in paid employment. A computer-assisted telephone interviewing system was used to interview a random sample that closely matched the Auckland population. Respondents gave information about their typical alcohol consumption and frequency of absences from paid employment which were a result of their drinking. They also gave a report of the number of times in the past 12 months when they felt their work had been impaired as a result of their drinking. The cost of absenteeism was recorded as the number of times a respondent reported time away from work multiplied by gross income. Estimates of reduced work efficiency were derived from US figures, which estimated a 25% reduction in work performance among heavy alcohol users; 3.7% of the sample reported alcohol-related absences and 12% reported reduced efficiency days. There was a significant difference in both the number and cost of absentee and reduced efficiency days reported between the top 10% and the bottom 10% drinkers. A conservative estimate of alcohol-related lost productivity among the working population of New Zealand (with a population of 3.4 million and a per capita absolute alcohol consumption of 9.7 litres) was found to be $57 million per year.     

Patterns of Drinking in a Small Development Town in Israel

The two central questions investigated in this study were the extent of alcohol consumption among the adult population in a small development town in Israel and the relationship between heavy drinking (daily drinking) and feelings of distress in four areas of life–economic, social, personal, and health. The findings indicated that the percentage of daily drinkers (8%) in [his population is higher than that found in a national survey of the adult urban Jewish population in Israel (2%). Two ‘deviant’ groups of drinkers were identified–daily drinkers and weekly drinkers (those who reported drinking 2-3 times per week). These two groups drink on non-ritual and non-ceremonial occasions. Daily drinkers frequently drink alone, drink several drinks at a time, and continue to drink without realizing how much. Daily drinkers tended to have strong feelings of powerlessness and a weak sense of coherence, and tended to be socially isolated. Drinking heavily is an infrequent response in the social context of the Israeli development town. No direct relationship was found between amount or kind of distress and extent of alcohol consumption. Those who do drink heavily, however, tend to be suffering from personal and social distress.     

Changes in social roles as predictors of changes in drinking behaviour

Aim. To assess the possible effects of changes in marital status, employment status and having children at home on alcohol consumption and the frequency of heavy drinking. With role theory as a starting point it was expected that a shift into more social roles would decrease consumption and heavy drinking while the shift away from social roles would be associated with an increase in consumption and heavy drinking. Design. Prospective cohort study. Setting. The province of Limburg, The Netherlands (1980-89). Participants. 1327 men and women aged 16-69 years at first measurement. Measurements. Weekly consumption of standard units (10 g ethanol) of alcoholic beverages; frequency of drinking six units or more; self-reported social role. Findings. The acquisition of a spouse role and a parental role but not an employment role was associated with a decrease in consumption or heavy drinking. The loss of the spouse role among women was associated with an increase in heavy drinking. Otherwise, losing a role was not linked with a change in consumption and heavy drinking. Conclusions. Limited support was found for the expectation that role transitions influence drinking behaviour. Our study suggests that other theories must be sought to explain social differences in drinking behaviour.     

The relationship between alcohol consumption and cortisol secretion in an aging cohort

CONTEXT: Evidence for an association between alcohol consumption and activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is inconclusive. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to assess the relationship between indices of alcohol consumption and salivary cortisol concentration. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study of alcohol consumption and cortisol secretion from phase 7 (2002-2004) of the Whitehall II study. SETTING: An occupational cohort originally recruited in 1985-1987 was included in the study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 2693 men and 977 women had information on cortisol levels and alcohol consumption. OUTCOME MEASURES: Saliva samples were taken on waking, waking+0.5, 2.5, 8, and 12 h, and bedtime for the assessment of cortisol. RESULTS: In men there was a positive association between cortisol and units of alcohol intake per week (3% increase in cortisol per unit of alcohol consumed; P=0.010). The slope of cortisol decline over the day in heavy drinkers was reduced (heavy drinkers beta=-0.155, moderate drinkers beta=-0.151), indicating reduced control of the HPA axis in heavy drinkers. In women the cortisol awakening response was greater in heavy drinkers 14.15 nmol/liter (9.12-19.17) compared with moderate drinkers 8.69 nmol/liter (7.72-9.67) (P=0.037). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that alcohol consumption is associated with activation of the HPA axis. These results are not due to alcohol consumption on the day, suggesting chronic changes of the HPA axis in heavy drinking groups.     

Drinking Patterns and Drinking Problems in 1984: Results from a General Population Survey

Findings on alcohol consumption and alcohol problems from a 1984 general population survey are presented and compared to previous survey findings. Eighteen percent of all men and 5% of all women were classified as frequent heavy drinkers; 6% of all men drinkers and 2% of all women drinkers reported that they got "drunk" as often as once per week or more. A system for measuring drinking problems, based largely on the work of Cahalan and Room, is presented and explained. As when interpreting any system of measuring drinking problems in a general population survey, readers must be aware that the resulting prevalence rates are strongly influenced by arbitrary decisions about where cutpoints should be drawn. With this caveat in mind, the results show that 9% of men drinkers and 4% of women drinkers reported problematic drinking behavior at what is defined as a moderate level of severity. Similarly, 14% of men drinkers and 6% of women drinkers reported adverse tangible consequences of drinking at a moderate level of severity. The age and sex distributions of drinking, heavy drinking, intoxication, and drinking problems were as expected, with greater proportions of men than women reporting these things and greater proportions of younger than older drinkers reporting them.     

Relation of alcohol consumption to angiographically proved coronary artery disease in chinese men

Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption is believed to be protective against coronary artery disease (CAD) in many studies. However, the cardioprotective effects of alcohol intake lack epidemiologic evidence in a Chinese population. The present case-control study was designed to explore the relation between alcohol consumption and angiographically proved CAD in Chinese men. The study population consisted of 1,476 consecutive men 36 to 84 years of age who underwent coronary arteriography. Participants were categorized as nondrinkers, light drinkers, moderate drinkers, and heavy drinkers. Adjusted odds ratios for light, moderate, and heavy drinking were 1.16 (95% confidence interval 0.68 to 1.94), 1.78 (1.35 to 2.27), and 2.18 (1.46 to 3.25). Adjusted odds ratios were 1.36 (1.08 to 1.83) for drinking alcohol 2 to 3 days/week, 1.58 (1.17 to 2.26) for 4 to 5 days/week, and 2.03 (1.36 to 3.27) for 6 to 7 days/week. Compared to nondrinking, adjusted odds ratios were 1.03 (0.54 to 1.87) for drinking 0 to 15 years, 1.61 (1.28 to 2.14) for 16 to 30 years, and 1.98 (1.23 to 3.05) for > 30 years. In conclusion, moderate-to-heavy alcohol consumption increased the risk of CAD in Chinese men. CAD risk tended to increase with an increase in frequency and duration of drinking.     

Alcohol consumption and prognosis in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction after a myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVES: We assessed the influence of alcohol intake on the development of symptomatic heart failure (HF) in patients with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction after a myocardial infarction (MI). BACKGROUND: In contrast to protection from coronary heart disease, alcohol consumption has been linked to cardiodepressant effects and has been considered contraindicated in patients with HF. METHODS: The Survival And Ventricular Enlargement (SAVE) trial randomized 2231 patients with a LV ejection fraction (EF) <40% following MI to an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or placebo. Patients were classified as nondrinkers, light-to-moderate drinkers (1 to 10 drinks/week), or heavy drinkers (>10 drinks/week) based on alcohol consumption reported at baseline. The primary outcome was hospitalization for HF or need for an open-label angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor. Analyses were repeated using alcohol consumption reported three months after MI. RESULTS: Nondrinkers were older and had more comorbidities than light-to-moderate and heavy drinkers. In univariate analyses, baseline light-to-moderate alcohol intake was associated with a lower incidence of HF compared with nondrinkers (hazard ratio [HR] 0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.57 to 0.87), whereas heavy drinking was not (HR 0.91; 95% CI 0.67 to 1.23). After adjustment for baseline differences, light-to-moderate baseline alcohol consumption no longer significantly influenced the development of HF (light-to-moderate drinkers HR 0.93; 95% CI 0.75 to 1.17; heavy drinkers HR 1.25; 95% CI 0.91 to 1.72). Alcohol consumption reported three months after the MI similarly did not modify the risk of adverse outcome. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with LV dysfunction after an MI, light-to-moderate alcohol intake either at baseline or following MI did not alter the risk for the development of HF requiring hospitalization or an open-label angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor.     

Does the Association Between Alcohol Consumption and Depression Depend on How They Are Measured?

BACKGROUND: Inconsistent findings regarding the relationship between alcohol consumption and depression, including whether the relationship is J-shaped or U-shaped, may be at least partly due to the types of measures used for both alcohol consumption and depression. METHODS: We conducted a general population survey using random digit dialing (RDD) and computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) with 6,009 males and 8,054 females aged 18 to 76 years. The survey included 4 types of alcohol measures (frequency, usual and maximum quantity per occasion, volume, and heavy episodic drinking) covering both the past week and the past year, and 2 types of depression measures (meeting DSM criteria for a clinical diagnosis of major depression, recent depressed affect). RESULTS: The overall relationship between depression and alcohol consumption did not vary by gender or type of depression measure but did vary significantly by type of alcohol measure, with the strongest relationship found for heavy episodic drinking and high quantity per occasion. There were also significant gender interactions with both depression and alcohol measures, with females showing a stronger relationship than males when depression was measured as meeting the criteria for major depression and when alcohol consumption was measured as quantity per occasion or heavy episodic drinking. There was some evidence of a J-shaped relationship, that is, greater depression among abstainers compared with those who usually drank 1 drink and never drank as much as 5 drinks for both former drinkers and lifetime abstainers when depression was measured as recent symptoms of depression but the J shape was found only for former drinkers when depression was measured as meeting the criteria for major depression and did not reach statistical significance in some analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study suggest that measurement and gender are key issues in interpreting findings on the relationship between alcohol and depression. First, depression is primarily related to drinking larger quantities per occasion, less related to volume, and unrelated to drinking frequency, and this effect is stronger for women than for men. Second, the overall relationship between depression and alcohol consumption is stronger for women than for men only when depression is measured as meeting a clinical diagnosis of major depression and not when measured as recent depressed affect. Finally, while there was some evidence that former drinkers had slightly higher rates of major depression and higher scores on recent depressed affect compared with light drinkers, there was no evidence that light drinking was protective for major depression when compared with lifetime abstainers, although light drinkers did report fewer recent symptoms of depressed affect.     

Association between alcohol intake and metabolic syndrome in patients with hypertension

The aim of this study was to determine how alcohol consumption influences metabolic syndrome in patients with hypertension. The subjects were 3938 male workers being treated with anti-hypertensive drugs and they were divided into four groups by average ethanol intake [non-, light (<22 g/day), moderate (≥22 and <44 g/day), and heavy (≥44 g/day) drinkers]. The relationships of alcohol intake with atherosclerotic risk factors and metabolic syndrome were investigated. Waist circumference and hemoglobin A1c were significantly smaller and lower, respectively, in light, moderate, and heavy drinkers than in nondrinkers. Systolic blood pressure and log-converted triglyceride were significantly higher in heavy drinkers than in nondrinkers. HDL cholesterol was significantly higher in all of the drinker groups than in nondrinkers and tended to be higher as alcohol intake increased. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome was significantly lower in light, moderate, and heavy drinkers than in nondrinkers. Age- and smoking history-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) vs. nondrinkers for metabolic syndrome were significantly low in light drinkers (OR = 0.71, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.56-0.89), moderate drinkers (OR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.54-0.75) and heavy drinkers (OR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.57-0.82). The results suggest that alcohol drinking is associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome in patients with hypertension.     

Adolescent drinking level and adult binge drinking in a national birth cohort

AIMS: To assess (i) continuities in binge drinking across adulthood and (ii) the association between adolescent drinking level and adult binge drinking. DESIGN: Population-based prospective birth cohort. SETTING: England, Scotland and Wales. PARTICIPANTS: All births during one week in March 1958 (n = 8520 in analysis). MEASUREMENTS: Alcohol consumption reported at 16, 23, 33 and 42 years. Binge drinkers were identified by dividing number of units of alcohol consumed in the last week by usual drinking frequency, with limits of >/=10 units/occasion for men and >/=7 for women. FINDINGS: Four in five cohort members drank alcohol at least twice a month. Prevalences of binge drinking at 23, 33 and 42 years among men were 37%, 28% and 31% and among women 18%, 13% and 14%. Most binge drinkers in adulthood changed drinking status during this period. Nevertheless, binge drinking at age 23 increased the odds of binge drinking at 42 years: odds ratio (OR) 2.10 (95% CI 1.85, 2.39) for men; OR 1.56 (95% CI 1.29,1.89) for women. Women who rarely or never drank aged 16 were less likely than light drinkers (0-2 units/week) to binge drink as adults, OR at 23 years 0.65 (95% CI 0.55, 0.77). Men who were heavier drinkers (>/=7 units/week) at 16 years were more likely than light drinkers to binge drink throughout adulthood; at 42 years, OR 1.64 (95% CI 1.33, 2.08). CONCLUSIONS: Binge drinking is common in British men and women throughout adulthood with continuities between the 20s and 40s. Adolescent drinking has a modest although important association with adult binge drinking.