Lifetime alcohol intake and risk of rectal cancer in western New York

The lifetime intake of total alcohol, beer, wine, and hard liquor was measured for 277 males and 145 females with pathologically confirmed, first, single, primary cancers of the rectum in western New York from 1978 to 1986. Controls who were age, sex, and neighborhood matched were also interviewed. Intake of beer and total alcohol was positively associated with rectal cancer risk. Most of the excess risk was found for the heaviest drinkers. Odds ratios for fourth quartile intakes for males were 1.80 (95% CI, 1.12, 2.89) for total alcohol and 1.86 (1.13, 3.06) for beer. No association was found with wine or hard liquor intake. Females drank considerably less in this population; trends were similar although not of as great magnitude as those for males. Adjustment for dietary risk factors did not change risk estimates appreciably. A high lifetime intake of beer and total alcohol was associated with an increased risk of rectal cancer, and this was independent of either socioeconomic status or diet.     

Lifetime alcohol intake and risk of rectal cancer in western New York

The lifetime intake of total alcohol, beer, wine, and hard liquor was measured for 277 males and 145 females with pathologically confirmed, first, single, primary cancers of the rectum in western New York from 1978 to 1986. Controls who were age, sex, and neighborhood matched were also interviewed. Intake of beer and total alcohol was positively associated with rectal cancer risk. Most of the excess risk was found for the heaviest drinkers. Odds ratios for fourth quartile intakes for males were 1.80 (95% CI, 1.12, 2.89) for total alcohol and 1.86 (1.13, 3.06) for beer. No association was found with wine or hard liquor intake. Females drank considerably less in this population; trends were similar although not of as great magnitude as those for males. Adjustment for dietary risk factors did not change risk estimates appreciably. A high lifetime intake of beer and total alcohol was associated with an increased risk of rectal cancer, and this was independent of either socioeconomic status or diet.     

Association of fluids from beverages with risk of rectal cancer

Little information is available about how fluid intake from beverages and sources of fluid intake influence risk of rectal cancer. We examined these associations with risk of incident rectal cancer in a population-based case-control study of 952 cases and 1,205 controls living in northern California and Utah. We also determined if intake of fiber (soluble and insoluble), physical activity, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) or aspirin modified the associations between fluid intake and rectal cancer. We identified a modest inverse association of water intake (odds ratio, OR = 0.70; 95% confidence interval, CI = 0.48, 1.02) and total fluid intake (high vs. low OR = 0.70; 95% CI = 0.46, 1.06) with risk of rectal cancer in men and a positive association with juice among women (high vs. low OR = 1.56; 95% CI = 1.00, 2.41). Risk of rectal cancer increased nonsignificantly among men with beer consumption, among women with high white wine use, and among men and women with high long-term alcohol use. NSAIDs modified the association of alcohol consumption with rectal cancer: 1) risk associated with beer increased among men who did not take NSAIDs and had a high beer intake (OR = 1.60; 95% CI = 1.08, 2.39) and 2) risk associated with long-term alcohol intake increased in a linear fashion in women who did not use NSAIDs (OR = 1.98; 95% CI = 1.15, 3.40). Risk of rectal cancer increased among estrogen-negative women if they consumed any beer or white wine but decreased among estrogen-positive women with beer. In men, low intake of water and low insoluble fiber intake were associated with increased risk of rectal cancer beyond that of either factor alone (OR = 1.82; 95% CI = 1.11, 3.00). The interactions of fiber with water intake suggest that bowel motility may be the mechanism responsible for modification of rectal cancer risk for water. Associations of alcohol to risk for rectal cancer may be related to cellular hyperproliferation and may be modified by NSAID use.     

Risk factors for laryngeal cancer

This case-control study comprised 100 histologically verified laryngeal cancer patients and 100 hospital controls matched with cases by sex, age and place of residence. The following variables were tested for their association with cancer of the larynx: marital status, educational level, hard liquor consumption, cigarette smoking, unfavorable working conditions, sudden and frequent temperature changes at work, cold housing, loud speech at work, frequent hoarseness, frequent and persistent cough, persistently swollen neck glands, tonsillectomy and laryngeal surgery. According to conditional logistic regression analysis, significant association with laryngeal cancer was found for unfavourable working conditions for more than 10 years (OR=4.36; 95% CI=1.92–9.91), hard liquor consumption for more than 5 years (OR=2.59; 95% CI=1.14–5.87), cigarette smoking for more than 10 years (OR=7.29; 95% CI=2.41–22.09), tonsillectomy (OR=4.80; 95% CI=1.61–14.30) and frequent and persistent cough prior to disease (OR=8.17; 95% CI=1.72–38.76).     

Case-control study of alcoholic beverages as etiological factors: the Melbourne Colorectal Cancer Study

As part of a large-scale investigation of colorectal cancer incidence, etiology, and survival, a case-control study was conducted to identify whether diet and alcohol, among other variables, were associated with the risk of colorectal cancer. This study compared 715 cases with 727 age- and sex-matched community controls. Findings from the dietary data are presented in the previous paper (Nutr Cancer 9, 21-42, 1987). The total life intake of specific alcoholic beverages was obtained from each subject. Data were classified by consumption of beer, wine, spirits, and alcohol. There was little evidence of an association of any of the alcohol variables with the risk of colon cancer. However, beer was found to be a risk factor for rectal cancer. This effect was more marked in males than in females, but the relative risks for females were consistent with those for males. Relative risk estimates changed only slightly when adjusted for the other alcohol variables and for the variables in the diet model; this suggests that the beer effect is separate from that of other alcohol variables and also from dietary variables. The age differences among beer consumers were found to be associated with cancer risk. Consumption of spirits was associated with a low risk for male rectal cancer. The risk of rectal cancer appeared to depend on beer drinking patterns in the previous 15-20 years.     

The relations of alcoholic beverage use to colon and rectal cancer

The authors prospectively studied the incidence of cancers of the colon and rectum in 106,203 men and women, both white and black, who supplied data at northern California Kaiser Permanente facilities about use of alcoholic beverages in 1978-1984. Analysis controlling for age, sex, race, body mass index, coffee use, total serum cholesterol, and education showed a positive association of alcohol use to both types of cancer, which was stronger for rectal cancer (trend test, p = 0.03) than for colon cancer (trend test, p = 0.11). When persons with a daily intake of three or more drinks were compared with abstainers, relative risk for rectal cancer was 3.17 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.05-9.57) and relative risk for colon cancer was 1.71 (95% CI: 0.92-3.19). Women with a daily intake of three or more drinks had a relative risk for colon cancer of 2.56 (95% CI: 1.03-6.40) compared with 1.16 (95% CI: 0.46-2.90) for men. Among drinkers, preference for wine, beer, or hard liquor had no significant independent relation to either type of cancer; those who preferred beer were at slightly greater risk of rectal cancer, but those who preferred wine were more likely to develop colon cancer. These data suggest that total alcohol use, but no one specific beverage type, is associated with increased risk of rectal cancer.     

Lifestyle and other risk factors for thyroid cancer in Los Angeles County females

PURPOSE AND METHODS: We conducted a population-based case-control study of thyroid cancer. Cases were 292 women, aged 15-54 when diagnosed between the years 1980 and 1983 (145 diagnosed in 1980-81 and 147 diagnosed in 1982-83). Female neighborhood controls (n = 292) were matched to each case on birth-year and race. RESULTS: Among women < 35 years, thyroid disease in first-degree relatives increased thyroid cancer risk [odds ratio (OR) = 2.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.1-3.7]. Risk was not associated with fish consumption, although high childhood consumption of shellfish decreased thyroid cancer risk (OR = 0.2, 95% CI = 0.05-0.7 for consumption at least a few times weekly). Among papillary thyroid cancers (82% of cases), frequent adult consumption of saltwater fish decreased risk. Cancer risk was reduced with consumption of certain vegetables, wine, and tea. Other dietary variables, including milk, beer and hard liquor, and coffee were not related to thyroid cancer risk. Among the papillary sample, risk increased with longer use of multivitamins (OR = 2.9, 95% CI = 1.2-7.4 for > 10 years of use). Smoking and body mass were not associated with thyroid cancer risk. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest a role of family history of thyroid disease and certain dietary variables in the etiology of thyroid cancer in adult females.     

Asbestos and colon cancer: lack of association in a large case-control study.

Previous studies linking exposure to asbestos with human colon cancer have used mortality rather than incidence as their endpoint and have neither assessed nor controlled for confounding by diet, genetic factors, or other risk factors for colon cancer. A case-control study of 746 histologically confirmed cases of colon cancer and 746 matched neighborhood controls was conducted in Los Angeles County, California. In univariate analyses of the 419 male pairs, a weak association was found between asbestos exposure and colon cancer (odds ratio (OR) = 1.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.80-1.69). When confounding by family history of large bowel cancer, diet, body weight, and physical activity was controlled, there was no association between colon cancer and exposure to asbestos among males (OR = 0.99, 95% CI 0.66-1.50). When asbestos exposure was restricted to occurrences preceding diagnosis by more than 15 years, there was no clear association between such exposure and colon cancer, either before (OR = 1.14, 95% CI 0.76-1.70) or after confounding was controlled (OR = 0.93, 95% CI 0.60-1.44). Further analyses by frequency and duration of exposure failed to show any association between asbestos and risk of colon cancer, but did show a consistent pattern of confounding by nonoccupational factors that, when controlled, invariably produced a weak protective effect of asbestos exposure. Among the 327 female pairs, only 6 cases and 11 controls reported asbestos exposure (OR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.20-1.48), and there was no evidence of risk increasing as the frequency or duration of exposure increased. This study suggests not only that occupational exposure to asbestos is not a risk factor for colon cancer in the general population of Los Angeles, but also that observed associations between asbestos and colon cancer should not be interpreted as causal unless confounding by nonoccupational factors has been evaluated and controlled.     

Moderate beer consumption and the risk of colorectal cancer

The relationship between beer consumption and the risk of colon and rectal cancer was considered in a case‐control study conducted in northern Italy. The study was based on 828 histologically confirmed incident cases of colon cancer, 498 of rectal cancer, and 2,024 controls in hospital for a wide spectrum of acute, nonneoplastic, nonalcohol‐related diseases. Beer drinking was reported by 6% of colon cancer cases, 7% of rectal cancer cases, and 10% of controls; regular beer drinkers (≥1 drinks/day) made up 2.6% of colon cancer cases, 3.2% of rectal cancer cases, and 4.1% of controls. Thus the multivariate relative risks (RR) for irregular drinkers were 0.6 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.4–1.0] for colon and 0.7 (95% CI 0.4–1.2) for rectum. Corresponding values for regular drinkers were 0.7 (95% CI 0.4–1.2) for colon and 0.9 (95% CI 0.5–1.5) for rectal cancer. Despite the low frequency of beer drinking in this study, and hence its limited statistical power, the originality of the population in terms of colorectal cancer incidence, patterns of risk factor exposure, and the large dataset provide interesting and useful confirmation that moderate beer drinking is not associated with elevated colon or rectal cancer risk.     

Alcohol consumption and the risk of endometrial cancer: a meta-analysis

Epidemiologic findings are inconsistent concerning the association of endometrial cancer risk with alcohol consumption. Therefore, we conduct a meta-analysis of studies that assessed the association of alcohol consumption and the risk of endometrial cancer. A systematic literature search up to April 2010 was performed in MEDLINE and EMBASE, and study-specific risk estimates were pooled using a random-effects model. In the present study, six prospective and 14 case-control studies were included. Alcohol intake was not significantly associated with the risk of endometrial cancer among prospective studies (relative risk (RR): 1.04; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.91-1.18) or among case-control studies (odds ratio (OR): 0.89; 95% CI: 0.76-1.05). However evidence from the results of our stratified analyses revealed that increased risk of endometrial cancer was associated with liquor consumption (RR: 1.22; 95% CI: 1.03-1.45) but null association with wine and beer consumption. In conclusion, alcohol consumption is not associated with the risk of endometrial cancer. Future studies should also examine whether the relation varies according to different type of alcoholic beverages.     

Oral contraceptive use does not protect against large bowel cancer

The association between oral contraceptive (OC) use and colorectal cancer was examined in 190 female colorectal cancer cases and 200 age-matched female controls in data derived from a population-based study of large bowel cancer, "The Melbourne Colorectal Cancer Study" conducted in Melbourne, Australia. There were 47 cases (24 colon cancer, 23 rectal cancer cases) and 39 controls, who were past OC users. After adjustment was made for the confounding factors of age, number of children and age at birth of first child, a statistically significant risk was found among rectal cancer OC users, but not among colon cancer OC users (RR rectal cancer = 2.04, 95% CI = 1.00-4.14, p = 0.04; RR colon cancer = 1.17, 95% CI = 0.59-2.29, p = 0.60). These risks were not affected by adjustment for socioeconomic level, country of birth, religion, previous diet and family history of colorectal cancer. Rectal cancer risk was higher among those OC users who were also beer drinkers (RR = 6.96, 95% CI 2.09-23.1, p = 0.001).     

中国人群饮酒与代谢综合征发病关系的前瞻性研究

目的研究我国成年人饮酒状况对代谢综合征（MS）发病的影响。方法本项目为前瞻性队列研究。2007至2008年对分别于1998和2000年基线调查的中国心血管病流行病学多中心协作研究35～74岁的27020例队列人群开展随访调查。结果基线14572例非MS人群经8年随访,共发生MS2362例。在调整了年龄、南北方、城乡、受教育程度、体力活动、吸烟、体质指数以及MS组分数后,和不饮酒者相比,男性饮酒者发生MS的相对危险度（RR）为1．24（95％CI：1．06～1．45）,人群归因危险度为10．13％;每日摄入酒精量10．1～20g,20．1—40g,〉40g组的RR分别为1．36（95％CI：1．02～1．82）,1．34（95％CI：1．03—1．74）和1．41（95％CI：1．13,～1．77）;每周饮酒2～5次和／〉6次的RR分别为1．25（95％CI：1．01～1．55）和1．26（95％CI：1．04～1．52）;只喝啤酒组、只喝白酒组和混合饮酒组的RR分别为1．60（95％CI：1．05～2．45）、1．30（95％CI：1．02～1．65）和1．27（95％CI：1．06～1．52）。女性每日摄入酒精量在10．1～20g组和〉20g组RR分别为2．67（95％CI：1．26—5．65）和2．38（95％CI：1．35—4．22）。结论在全人群中,每13摄入酒精量〉10g就会显著增加MS发病风险,在女性中尤为明显。男性每周饮酒≥2次以及只饮啤酒、只饮白酒和混合饮酒者均明显升高MS的发病风险。为减少MS的流行,应提倡限制酒精过量摄入,尤其女性更应限制酒精摄入量（≤10g／d）。     

Preference for wine is associated with lower hip fracture incidence in post-menopausal women

Background

Past studies of relationships between alcohol and hip fracture have generally focused on total alcohol consumed and not type of alcohol. Different types of alcohol consist of varying components which may affect risk of hip fracture differentially. This study seeks to examine the relationship between alcohol consumption, with a focus on type of alcohol consumed (e.g. beer, wine, or hard liquor) and hip fracture risk in post-menopausal women.

Methods

The longitudinal cohort consisted of U.S. post-menopausal women aged 50–79 years enrolled between 1993–1998 in the Women’s Health Initiative Clinical Trials and Observational Study (N=115,655).

Results

Women were categorized as non-drinkers, past drinkers, infrequent drinkers and drinkers by preference of alcohol type (i.e. those who preferred wine, beer, hard liquor, or who had no strong preference). Mean alcohol consumption among current drinkers was 3.3 servings per week; this was similar among those who preferred wine, beer and liquor. After adjustment for potential confounders, alcohol preference was strongly correlated with hip fracture risk (p = 0.0167); in particular, women who preferred wine were at lower risk than non-drinkers (OR=0.78; 95% CI 0.64-0.95), past drinkers (OR=0.85; 95% CI 0.72-1.00), infrequent drinkers (OR=0.73; 95% CI 0.61-0.88), hard liquor drinkers (OR=0.87; 95% CI 0.71-1.06), beer drinkers (OR=0.72; 95% CI 0.55-0.95) and those with no strong preference (OR=0.89; 95% CI 0.89; 95% CI 0.73-1.10).

Conclusions

Preference of alcohol type was associated with hip fracture; women who preferentially consumed wine had a lower risk of hip fracture compared to non-drinkers, past drinkers, and those with other alcohol preferences.

     

Alcohol and the risk of colon and rectal cancer with mutations in the K-ras gene.

The first metabolite of alcohol, acetaldehyde, may trigger replication errors and mutations in DNA, which may predispose to developing colorectal cancer (CRC). In a prospective study on colon and rectal cancer, we investigated the following hypotheses: alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of mutations in the K-ras oncogene, and beer consumption is associated with an increased risk of G-->A mutations in this gene. Therefore, we studied the associations between consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages and the risk of CRC without and with specific K-ras gene mutations. In 1986, 120,852 men and women, aged 55-69 years, completed a questionnaire on risk factors for cancer. The case-cohort approach was used for data processing and analyses. After 7.3 years of follow-up, excluding the first 2.3 years, complete data from 4,076 subcohort members, 428 colon and 150 rectal cancer patients, were available for data analyses. Incidence rate ratios (RRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models. Compared to abstaining, a total alcohol consumption of 30.0 g/day and more was associated with the risk of colon and rectal cancer with and without a K-ras mutation in both men and women. Independent from alcohol intake, liquor consumption when compared to nonliquor consumption was associated with an increased risk of rectal cancer with a wild type K-ras in men (RR: 2.25, 95% CI: 1.0-5.0). Beer consumption was not clearly associated with the risk of colon and rectal tumors harboring G-->A mutations in the K-ras gene in men. This association could not be assessed in women because of sparse beer consumption. In conclusion, alcohol does not seem to be involved in predisposing to CRC through mutations in the K-ras gene, and specifically beer consumption is not associated with colon and rectal tumors harboring a G-->A mutation.     

Non-occupational risk factors for cancer of the lower urinary tract in Germany

In a hospital-based case–control study conducted between 1989 and 1992 in Hessen (West-Germany) 300 cases (239 male and 61 female) of histologically confirmed cancer of the lower urinary tract (LUT) were individually matched to controls from the same hospitals with respect to sex, age and area of residence. Smoking of cigarettes was associated with an elevated risk of 2.80 in males (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.65–4.76) and 5.33 (95% CI: 1.55–18.33) in females, as compared with non-smokers. Variables like daily amount of smoked cigarettes, duration of smoking, age at beginning of cigarette smoking and time since smoking cessation showed a clear dose- and time–response relationship in males, but not in females. Elevated risks were observed for higher consumption of coffee, beer and wine, but – especially for the consumption of coffee – were drastically reduced after adjustment for smoking. A weak association was found between the daily fluid intake and bladder cancer in males. Among females a significantly decreased odds ratio (OR) of 0.34 (95% CI: 0.11–0.99) was found for a daily fluid intake of more than two liters. Protective effects and risk reductions of approximately 50% were found for the regular intake of raw carrots, kale, salads and fruits. The findings of this investigation support an association between lifestyle factors and cancer of the lower urinary tract.     

Risk factors for laryngeal cancer in Montenegro

Laryngeal cancer is the most common head and neck cancer. There might be many risk factors for laryngeal cancer. Smoking, especially cigarette smoking and alcohol are indisputable risk factors. The authors of this paper assessed the presumed risk factors in order to identify possible aetiological agents of the disease.A hospital-based case-control study was conducted. The study group consisted of 108 histologically verified laryngeal cancer patients and 108 hospital controls matched by sex, age (+/-3 years) and place of residence. Laryngeal cancer patients and controls were interviewed during their hospital stay using a structured questionnaire. According to multiple logistic regression analysis six variables were independently related to laryngeal cancer: hard liquor consumption (Odd Ratio/OR/=2.93, Confidence Interval/CI/95% = 1.17 to 7.31), consumption more than 2 alcoholic drinks per day (OR=4.96, CI 95% = 2.04 to 12.04), cigarette smoking for more than 40 years (OR=4.32, CI 95% = 1.69 to 11.06), smoking more than 30 cigarettes per day (OR=4.24, CI 95% = 1.75 to 10.27), coffee consumption more than 5 cups per day (OR=4.52, CI 95% = 1.01 to 20.12) and carbonated beverage consumption (OR=0.38, CI 95%=0.16 to 0.92). The great majority of laryngeal cancers could be prevented by eliminating tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption.     

Alcohol consumption and risk of prostate cancer: The Harvard Alumni Health Study

BACKGROUND: Although many studies suggest that consumption of alcohol increases the risk of several site-specific cancers, the evidence remains unclear for prostate cancer. Few data exist on beverage-specific associations as well as lifetime patterns of alcohol consumption and prostate cancer risk. METHODS: We prospectively followed 7612 Harvard alumni (mean age 66.6 years) from 1988 through 1993, during which 366 cases of incident prostate cancer occurred. Self-reported alcohol consumption was assessed at baseline from wine, beer, and liquor intake. Previous assessments during college and in 1977 were also available. RESULTS: Overall, the mean total alcohol consumption in 1988 was 123.1 g/week, of which 28.6% was from wine, 15.8% from beer, and 55.6% from liquor. Compared to men reporting almost never drinking alcohol in 1988, the multivariate relative risks (95% CI) for 1 drink/month to < 3 drinks/week, 3 drinks/week to < 1 drink/ day, 1 to < 3 drinks/day, and > or = 3 drinks/day were 1.33 (0.88-2.01), 1.65 (1.12-2.44), 1.85 (1.29-2.64), and 1.33 (0.86-2.05), respectively. Wine or beer consumption was unassociated with prostate cancer; however, moderate liquor consumption was associated with a significant 61-67% increased risk of prostate cancer (P, non-linear trend < 0.001). Men initiating alcohol consumption between 1977 and 1988 had a twofold increased risk of prostate cancer compared to men with almost no alcohol consumption at both times. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to the majority of previous studies, we found a positive association between moderate alcohol consumption and the risk of prostate cancer. Liquor, but not wine or beer, consumption was positively associated with prostate cancer.     

A population-based case-control study of lung cancer and green tea consumption among women living in Shanghai, China.

Epidemiologic evidence regarding the association between the consumption of green tea and lung cancer is limited and inconclusive, although experimental studies have shown consistently that tea preparations and tea polyphenols may inhibit the induction of a variety of cancers, including lung cancer. In this population-based case-control study, we examined the association between past consumption of green tea and the risk of lung cancer. We identified 649 incident cases of primary lung cancer among women diagnosed from February 1992 through January 1994 using the population-based Shanghai Cancer Registry. We randomly selected a control group of 675 women from the Shanghai Residential Registry, frequency-matched to the expected age distribution of the cases. Green tea consumption was ascertained through face-to-face interviews. We estimated adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) using unconditional logistic regression. Among nonsmoking women, consumption of green tea was associated with a reduced risk of lung cancer (OR = 0.65; 95% CI = 0.45-0.93), and the risks decreased with increasing consumption. We found little association, however, among women who smoked (OR = 0.94; 95% CI = 0.40-2.22). The inconsistency in the association between drinking tea and the risk of lung cancer reported in previous studies may in part be due to inadequate control of confounding of active smoking.     

Risk of upper aerodigestive tract cancer and type of alcoholic beverage: a European multicenter case–control study

The general relationship between cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) and alcohol drinking is established. Nevertheless, it is uncertain whether different types of alcoholic beverages (wine, beer and liquor) carry different UADT cancer risks. Our study included 2,001 UADT cancer cases and 2,125 controls from 14 centres in 10 European countries. All cases were histologically or cytologically confirmed squamous cell carcinomas. Controls were frequency matched by sex, age and centre. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95?% confidence intervals (95?%CI) adjusted for age, sex, centre, education level, vegetable and fruit intake, tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking, where appropriate. Risk of beverage-specific alcohol consumption were calculated among 'pure drinker' who consumed one beverage type exclusively, among 'predominant drinkers' who consumed one beverage type to more than 66?% and among 'mixed drinkers' who consumed more than one beverage type to similar proportions. Compared to never drinkers and adjusted for cumulative alcohol consumption, the OR and 95?%CI for wine, beer and liquor drinking, respectively, were 1.24 (0.86, 1.78), 1.54 (1.05, 2.27) and 0.94 (0.53, 1.64) among 'pure drinkers' (p value for heterogeneity across beverage types?=?0.306), 1.05 (0.76,1.47), 1.25 (0.87,1.79) and 1.43 (0.95, 2.16) among 'predominant drinkers' (p value?=?0.456), and 1.09 (0.79, 1.50), 1.20 (0.88, 1.63) and 1.12 (0.82, 1.53) among 'mixed drinkers' (p value?=?0.889). Risk of UADT cancer increased with increasing consumption of all three alcohol beverage types. Our findings underscore the strong and comparable carcinogenic effect of ethanol in wine, beer and liquor on organs of the UADT.     

Alcohol consumption and risk of peripheral arterial disease: the Rotterdam study

Moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Data on alcohol consumption and atherosclerosis are scarce. To determine the association between alcohol consumption and risk of peripheral arterial disease, the authors carried out a cross-sectional study (1990-1993) in the population-based Rotterdam Study among men and women aged 55 years or over. Data on alcohol consumption and peripheral arterial disease, as measured by the ankle/brachial blood pressure index, were available for 3,975 participants without symptomatic cardiovascular disease. Male drinkers consumed beer, wine, and liquor, while female drinkers consumed predominantly wine and fortified wine types. An inverse relation between moderate alcohol consumption and peripheral arterial disease was found in women but not in men. Because of residual confounding by smoking, analyses were repeated in nonsmokers. In nonsmoking men, odds ratios were 0.86 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.46, 1.63) for daily alcohol consumption up to and including 10 g, 0.75 (95% CI: 0.37, 1.55) for 11-20 g, and 0.68 (95% CI: 0.35, 1.34) for more than 20 g, compared with nondrinking. In nonsmoking women, corresponding odds ratios were 0.65 (95% CI: 0.48, 0.87), 0.66 (95% CI: 0.42, 1.05), and 0.41 (95% CI: 0.21, 0.77), respectively. In conclusion, an inverse association between alcohol consumption and peripheral arterial disease was found in nonsmoking men and women.