Patterns of drinking in Wales

As part of a larger survey of health-related behaviours, 8441 Welsh men and women aged 18-64 years provided information relating to their overall consumption of alcohol, frequency of binge drinking (defined as consumption of at least half the recommended weekly limits, less than or equal to 21 units for men, less than or equal to 14 units for women) per occasion, and changes in consumption over time. Key findings indicate 29% of men and 9% of women report drinking in excess of the recommended safe limits, whilst 28% and 8% respectively report binge drinking at least once weekly. Such drinking is not, however, confined to heavy drinkers: 14% of men and 5% of women who drink within the recommended safe limits also report binge drinking at least once weekly. These and other results are discussed in relation to future health promotion initiatives.     

Patterns of self-reported drinking and driving in Michigan

We analyzed a statewide telephone survey of Michigan adults to determine patterns of self-reported drinking and driving. The estimated prevalence of drinking and driving was 13.5 percent for men and 2.9 percent for women; the highest prevalence was among 18- to 24-year-old men (32 percent). Based on these estimates, over half a million Michigan adults drank and drove on over one million occasions during the month preceding the survey. Most drinking drivers (93 percent) reported binge drinking, yet 70 percent of them otherwise reported only moderate routine alcohol consumption, that is, they consumed fewer than 14 drinks a week on average. Because we were concerned about the validity of self-reports, we compared the patterns of self-reported alcohol use with the patterns of alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes. The pattern of self-reported drinking and driving (using age-, sex-, and region-specific estimates) was highly correlated with the pattern of injury in alcohol-related crashes (r = .96; p less than .0001). Self-reported patterns of alcohol use may be used to identify persons at highest risk for being injured or dying in a motor vehicle crash.     

Effects of dietary protein intake on carnitine status in Thai men

Healthy men receiving adequate intakes of energy and fat without protein and carnitine for 14 days had significantly higher mean 24-h urinary free, acyl, and total carnitine excretions than the control subjects. Hen egg was the sole source of protein in this study and constained 7.77 μmol of carnitine/100 g. The stress stimuli due to the lack of protein and carnitine intakes were alleviated with the protein intakes of 0.35, 0.50, 0.55, 0.65, 0.70, and 0.85 g/kg/d, evidenced by the significant decreases in the 3 forms of 24-h urinary carnitine excretions. Their significantly lower in the 3 forms of 24-h urinary carnitine excretions than the control subjects with carnitine intake of 176 μmol/d were due to their limited intakes of carnitine: 12–30 μmol/d. Their significant increases in urinary acylcarnitine/total carnitine ratios indicated the utilization of carnitine in fatty acid oxidation.     

Religious beliefs and practice, and alcohol use in Thai men

Buddhism, the Thai state religion, teaches that use of intoxicants should be avoided. Nonetheless, many Thai people drink alcohol, and a proportion are alcohol-dependent or hazardous or harmful drinkers. This study examines the relationship between Buddhist upbringing and beliefs and alcohol use disorders in Thai men. Three groups, comprising 144 non/infrequent/light drinkers, 77 hazardous/ harmful drinkers and 91 alcohol dependents were interviewed regarding their early religious life and current religious practices and beliefs. No protective association was shown between early religious life and later alcohol use disorders; indeed, having lived as a boy in a temple for a period was commoner in those with adult alcohol problems. Few subjects reported frequent involvement in current religious activities (9, 8 and 6% in the non/infrequent/light drinkers, hazardous/harmful drinkers, and alcohol dependents respectively). Hazardous/harmful drinkers [odds ratio (OR) = 0.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.2-0.9] and alcohol dependents (OR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.2-0.9) were less likely to report being moderately to strongly religious, than were non/infrequent/light drinkers. Understanding the association between religious beliefs and drinking behaviour can potentially assist in the development of prevention and treatment programmes.     

Non-occupational lead and cadmium exposure and blood pressure in Thai men

In this study, the effects of low level exposure to lead and cadmium on blood pressure among 212 men have been examined. The mean age was 41 years (range 34-53). The means of systolic and diastolic blood pressure were 126 (range 94-159) and 78 (range 58-117) mmHg, respectively. Blood lead concentration ranged from 144.31 to 779.34 etamol/L with a geometric mean (GM) of 363.11 etamol/L. Blood cadmium levels ranged from 1.33-37.81 etamol/L with GM of 8.09 etamol/L. For stepwise regression analysis, an increase in systolic blood pressure was significantly predictive by an increasing blood lead (p<0.001) whereas blood cadmium showed no significant correlation with blood pressure. Body mass index and alcohol consumption also contributed to both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. These findings also supported our proposal concerning the association between blood lead and blood pressure.     

Serum-gamma-glutamyltransferase in screening and continuous control of heavy drinking in middle-aged men

In an on-going population study in Malm?, serum-gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) is utilized both in biochemical screening of high alcohol consumption and as a tool in further investigation, treatment and control of middle-aged men with screening GGT in the top decile of the distribution. For this purpose, a special outpatient clinic has been instituted and is described in the present report. The composition of the intervention group and the feasibility of the program are reported for the first 6760 middle-aged male screening participants. A random one-half of the individuals with screening GGT in the top decile were allocated to the intervention group, which after primary dropouts and exclusion of concurrent diseases consisted of 252 individuals who have now been followed between three to six years. On the basis of structured interviews, hazardous levels of alcohol consumption were concluded to be present in 76% of the group. Although one-quarter of the group dropped out of the intervention program, the results indicate that it is feasible to institute an outpatient clinic for individuals with increased GGT levels found in a general health screening examination, to retain most individuals in this outpatient clinic and to consider alcohol habits and consumption levels in relation to the laboratory test value and general physical health status.     

Associations between heavy alcohol drinking and lipid-related indices in middle-aged men

The ratio of triglycerides to HDL cholesterol (TG/HDL-C ratio) and lipid accumulation product (LAP: a continuous marker of lipid over-accumulation determined by waist circumference and triglycerides) have been proposed to be good predictors of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationships between heavy alcohol drinking and lipid-related indices including TG/HDL-C ratio, LAP, and ratio of LDL cholesterol to HDL cholesterol (LDL-C/HDL-C ratio). The subjects were middle-aged male nondrinkers and heavy drinkers (ethanol intake: ≥66 g per drinking day, which is 2–3 times or more than the generally recommended border level of daily alcohol consumption of 20–30 g). The levels of each lipid-related index after adjustment for age, smoking, and regular exercise were compared among nondrinkers, occasional heavy drinkers, and regular heavy drinkers. Log-transformed TG/HDL-C ratio was significantly higher in occasional heavy drinkers (mean ± standard error: 0.445 ± 0.014) than in nondrinkers (0.388 ± 0.004) and regular heavy drinkers (0.359 ± 0.013), and was not significantly different in nondrinkers and regular heavy drinkers. Log-transformed LAP was significantly higher in occasional heavy drinkers (1.51 ± 0.02) and regular heavy drinkers (1.44 ± 0.02) than in nondrinkers (1.34 ± 0.01), and was significantly higher in occasional heavy drinkers than in regular heavy drinkers. LDL-C/HDL-C ratio was significantly lower in occasional heavy drinkers (2.41 ± 0.04) and regular heavy drinkers (1.72 ± 0.04) than in nondrinkers (2.62 ± 0.01) and was significantly lower in regular heavy drinkers than in occasional heavy drinkers. Results of logistic regression analysis, using odds ratios for high lipid indices of occasional or regular heavy drinkers vs. nondrinkers, agreed with the above results of analysis of covariance. Occasional heavy drinkers showed more detrimental and less favorable levels of the lipid indices than did regular heavy drinkers, and thus heavy drinking, even if occasional, should be avoided to prevent cardiovascular disease.     

Association between frequency of drinking alcohol and chronic kidney disease in men

Objectives

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health problem. Epidemiological studies of the relationship between alcohol intake and CKD are scarce in Japan. This cross-sectional study aims to investigate the relationship between frequency of drinking alcohol and CKD in Japanese men.

Methods

The subjects were 9,196 men (mean ± standard deviation age, 57.9 ± 5.1 years) who underwent a health check-up. CKD was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m². Frequency of alcohol drinking was obtained from questionnaire and divided into five categories: nondrinkers, once or twice a week, three or four times a week, five or six times a week, and everyday drinkers.

Results

Multivariable-adjusted [age, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, hyper-low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterolemia, smoking, and physical activity] odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using logistic regression analysis. Compared with the results for the nondrinkers, the multivariable-adjusted odds ratios of CKD were as follows: 0.76 (95% CI 0.60–0.95) for 1–2 drinks per week, 0.74 (95% CI 0.59–0.93) for 3–4 drinks per week, 0.79 (95% CI 0.64–0.97) for 5–6 drinks per week, and 0.60 (95% CI 0.51–0.71) for everyday drinkers. There was a significant inverse trend across increasing frequency of drinking alcohol (p = 0.001 for trend).

Conclusions

An inverse association was found between frequency of drinking alcohol and CKD in apparently healthy men.     

Coffee drinking and nonfatal myocardial infarction in men under 55 years of age

The relation of coffee consumption to the risk of nonfatal first myocardial infarction in men under 55 years of age was assessed in a hospital-based case-control study conducted from 1980 to 1983 in hospitals in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York: 1,873 men with first nonfatal myocardial infarctions were compared with 1,161 controls admitted for conditions unrelated to coffee ingestion. After allowance for major risk factors for myocardial infarction, the relative risk estimate for recent consumption of caffeine-containing coffee increased with increasing level of daily intake, from 1.4 for one to two cups per day to 1.6 for three to four cups, 1.8 for five to nine cups, and 2.9 for greater than or equal to 10 cups, relative to consumption of no coffee (p less than 0.001 for trend). The association was apparent in each age group and in both smokers and nonsmokers. For those who drank decaffeinated coffee only, on the basis of small numbers, there was a suggestion of an increased risk among men who had consumed at least five cups daily for less than five years but not among those who had drunk this amount for at least five years; whether the apparent association among the shorter-term drinkers was due to previous consumption of caffeine-containing coffee could not be determined. The findings suggest that caffeine-containing coffee increases the risk of myocardial infarction and that men who drink at least five cups daily may increase their risk by about twofold or more.     

Excessive drinking and history of unemployment and cohabitation in Danish men born in 1953

Background: Few studies exist on social inequality of excessive drinking in Denmark and differences seem to be less pronounced than in other European countries. The aims of this study were to investigate how history of employment and cohabitation is associated with excessive drinking and to study interaction between both. Methods: Birth-cohort study of 6112 Danish men born in 1953 with follow-up in 2004 on excessive drinking at age 51 years. RESULTS: Excessive drinking (between 22 and 35 units of alcohol per week) differed little depending on history of unemployment and cohabitation. Risk of very excessive drinking (drinking >35 units of alcohol per week) increased with number of job losses-ranging from one job-loss [odds ratio (OR) 1.72, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.39-2.14] to three or more job-losses (OR 2.48, 95% CI 1.75-3.52)--and duration of unemployment--ranging from 1 to 5 years (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.11-1.63) to ≥10 years (OR 4.16, CI 3.13-5-53). Very excessive drinking was also associated with number of broken partnerships-ranging from one broken partnership (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.16-1.77) to three or more broken partnerships (OR 2.69, 95% CI 2.03-3.55)--and with living alone for >5 years--ranging from 6 to 9 years (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.30-2.29) to ≥10 years (OR 2.55, 95% CI 2.04-3.55). We found an interaction between the number of job-losses and of broken partnerships in relation to very excessive drinking. CONCLUSIONS: Very excessive drinking is related to number of job-losses, broken partnerships, living alone and duration of unemployment.     

Patterns of change in sexual behavior among gay men in New York City

In the absence of a vaccine or effective treatment for AIDS, health education remains the most effective strategy for stemming the spread of the epidemic. Among homosexual and bisexual men, who continue to account for the majority of AIDS cases, sexual practices have been identified as the principal risk factor. Consequently, public health efforts aimed at this population have focused on raising awareness of the potential risks of HIV infection associated with certain sexual practices. A sample of 162 asymptomatic gay and bisexual men were studied to examine patterns of change and stability in sexual behavior. The data reveal that while the large majority (84%) had adopted at least modification in their sexual behavior, primarily in the form of reducing their total number of partners and their number of anonymous partners, a significant proportion (48%) continued to engage in risky sexual behavior; this, despite high levels of knowledge concerning risk-reduction guidelines. The findings suggest that the mere transfer of information concerning safer sex practices is not sufficient to induce the desired behavior changes in a substantial proportion of gay men. Alternative strategies for achieving behavior change are suggested.This research was supported in part by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health (MH39551) and the New York AIDS Institute (C00577). An earlier version of this paper was presented at the meetings of the American Sociological Association, New York City, August 1986.     

Catechins are bioavailable in men and women drinking black tea throughout the day

Tea consumption has been associated with reduced risk of both cancer and cardiovascular disease in population studies, but clinical data demonstrating bioavailability of the individual catechins and other polyphenolic components of tea are limited. This study assessed the apparent bioavailability of the prominent catechins from black tea in humans drinking tea throughout the day. After 5 d of consuming a low flavonoid diet, subjects drank a black tea preparation containing 15.48, 36.54, 16.74, and 31.14 mg of (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (-)-epicatechin (EC), (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG), respectively, at four time points (0, 2, 4 and 6 h). Blood, urine and fecal specimens were collected over a 24- to 72-h period and catechins were quantified by HPLC with coularray detection. Plasma concentrations of EGC, EC and EGCG increased significantly relative to baseline (P < 0.05). Plasma EGC, EC and EGCG peaked after 5 h, whereas ECG peaked at 24 h. Urinary excretion of EGC and EC, which peaked at 5 h, was increased relative to baseline amounts (P < 0.05) and fecal excretion of all four catechins was increased relative to baseline (P < 0.05). Approximately 1.68% of ingested catechins were present in the plasma, urine and feces, and the apparent bioavailability of the gallated catechins was lower than the nongallated forms. Thus, catechins were bioavailable. However, unless they are rapidly metabolized or sequestered, the catechins appeared to be absorbed in amounts that were small relative to intake.     

Type of alcohol and drinking pattern in 56, 970 Danish men and women

OBJECTIVE: To describe drinking patterns among individuals who prefer drinking wine, beer or spirits. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study obtaining detailed information on intake of wine, beer and spirits and on frequency of alcohol intake. Adjustment for gender, age, smoking habits, educational attainment and body mass index. SETTING: Denmark. SUBJECTS: 27, 151 men and 29, 819 women, randomly selected from Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Drinking pattern-steady or binge drinking. RESULTS: A vast majority (71%) of both men and women preferred wine or beer. At all levels of total alcohol intake, beer drinkers were most likely to be frequent drinkers. Thus, light drinkers of beer had an odds ratio for being frequent drinkers of 1.97 (95% confidence limits 1.50-2.58) as compared to light drinkers of wine (total alcohol intake 3-30 drinks per month), while people who preferred beer had an odds ratio of 1. 29 (1.19-1.40) compared with wine drinkers in the moderate drinking category (31-134 drinks per month). There were no significant differences in total alcohol intake between individuals preferring different alcoholic beverages. CONCLUSION: If binge drinking is less healthy than steady drinking, the relation between wine intake and coronary heart disease mortality could be subject to negative confounding, since beer drinkers seem to have the most sensible drinking pattern. SPONSORSHIP: Danish Cancer Society and the Danish National Board of Health. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2000) 54, 174-176     

Patterns of HIV risk and preventive behaviors among teenage men.

Analyses of the 1988 National Survey of Adolescent Males indicate the prevalence of risk behaviors related to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, including sexual, contraceptive, and drug use behaviors, among 15- to 19-year-old men. About three-fifths had sexual intercourse, indicating that a majority of teenage men have at least some potential exposure to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or sexually transmitted disease. From a behavioral perspective, the average sexually active teenage man used a condom more than half the time in the 12 months before the interview. Those with most experience with sexual intercourse, however, used condoms least frequently. More important from an epidemiologic perspective, a third of all acts of intercourse in the prior year were protected using condoms. Further, behaviors with the greatest direct risks for HIV infection, such as homosexual intercourse, use of intravenous drugs, and sex with intravenous drug users or prostitutes, appear to be relatively uncommon. Teenage men who demonstrate high-risk behavior, including both sexual and substance abuse, compound their risks, because risks generally are correlated. Condom use is a preventive behavior that is negatively correlated with most risk behaviors; those who have multiple partners, or who are substance abusers, tend to use condoms least. The convergence of risks for multi-problem teenage men indicates the relevance of interventions directed to high-risk youths.     

Coffee drinking is dose-dependently related to the risk of acute coronary events in middle-aged men

Heavy coffee consumption has been associated with increased coronary heart disease (CHD) risk although many studies have not observed any relation. We studied the effect of coffee consumption, assessed with a 4-d food record, on the incidence of nonfatal acute myocardial infarction or coronary death in a cohort of 1971 men who were 42 to 60 y old and free of symptomatic CHD at baseline in 1984-1989. During a mean follow-up of 14 y, 269 participants experienced an acute coronary event. After adjustment for age, smoking, exercise ischemia, diabetes, income, and serum insulin concentration, the rate ratios (95% CIs) in daily nondrinkers and light (375 mL or less), moderate (reference level), and heavy (814 mL or more) drinkers were 0.84 (0.41-1.72), 1.22 (0.90-1.64), 1.00, and 1.43 (1.06-1.94). To address time dependence of the effect, the analysis was repeated for 75 CHD events that occurred during the first 5 y; the respective rate ratios were 0.42 (0.06-3.10), 2.00 (1.16-3.44), 1.00, and 2.07 (1.17-3.65). Further adjustment for serum HDL and LDL cholesterol concentration, diastolic blood pressure, maximal oxygen uptake, and waist-hip ratio slightly increased the rate ratio for heavy coffee intake. Neither the brewing method (boiling vs. filtering) nor the serum LDL cholesterol concentration had any impact on the risk estimates for coffee intake. In conclusion, heavy coffee consumption increases the short-term risk of acute myocardial infarction or coronary death, independent of the brewing method or currently recognized risk factors for CHD.