BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Moderate alcohol consumption is protective against coronary disease, but its relationship to ischemic stroke (IS) is controversial. METHODS: Stroke-free participants > or =40 years of age identified by random-digit dialing were enrolled in a prospective cohort study between 1993 and 2001. Alcohol consumption was assessed through in-person interview and categorized as none in the past year, > or =1 drink in past month to < or =2 per day (moderate drinkers), and >2 drinks daily. Lifetime drinking was also assessed. Cox proportional hazard regression modeling was used to assess hazard ratios and their 95% CIs for the association of drinking with risk of stroke and vascular events. RESULTS: Mean age among participants (n=3176) was 69.1+/-10.3 years; 62.8% were women, 20.8% were non-Hispanic white, 24.5% non-Hispanic black, and 52.4% were Hispanic. No alcohol in the previous year was present in 62.3%, and 32.5% drank moderately. After adjusting for other risk factors compared with those who did not drink in the past year, moderate drinkers had a reduced risk of IS (0.67; 95% CI, 0.46 to 0.99) and IS, myocardial infarction, or vascular death (0.74; 95% CI, 0.59 to 0.94). Results were similar when never-drinkers were used as referent group. Reduction in risk was seen for nonatherosclerotic IS subtypes, and results stratified by age, sex, and race-ethnicity were similar. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate alcohol consumption is associated with decreased risk of IS in a multiethnic population. This effect is independent of other risk factors and holds for nonatherosclerotic stroke subtypes.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Moderate alcohol consumption is protective against coronary disease, but its relationship to ischemic stroke (IS) is controversial. METHODS: Stroke-free participants > or =40 years of age identified by random-digit dialing were enrolled in a prospective cohort study between 1993 and 2001. Alcohol consumption was assessed through in-person interview and categorized as none in the past year, > or =1 drink in past month to < or =2 per day (moderate drinkers), and >2 drinks daily. Lifetime drinking was also assessed. Cox proportional hazard regression modeling was used to assess hazard ratios and their 95% CIs for the association of drinking with risk of stroke and vascular events. RESULTS: Mean age among participants (n=3176) was 69.1+/-10.3 years; 62.8% were women, 20.8% were non-Hispanic white, 24.5% non-Hispanic black, and 52.4% were Hispanic. No alcohol in the previous year was present in 62.3%, and 32.5% drank moderately. After adjusting for other risk factors compared with those who did not drink in the past year, moderate drinkers had a reduced risk of IS (0.67; 95% CI, 0.46 to 0.99) and IS, myocardial infarction, or vascular death (0.74; 95% CI, 0.59 to 0.94). Results were similar when never-drinkers were used as referent group. Reduction in risk was seen for nonatherosclerotic IS subtypes, and results stratified by age, sex, and race-ethnicity were similar. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate alcohol consumption is associated with decreased risk of IS in a multiethnic population. This effect is independent of other risk factors and holds for nonatherosclerotic stroke subtypes.
Authors: Hannah Gardener; Clinton B Wright; Yian Gu; Ryan T Demmer; Bernadette Boden-Albala; Mitchell S V Elkind; Ralph L Sacco; Nikolaos Scarmeas Journal: Am J Clin Nutr Date: 2011-11-09 Impact factor: 7.045
Authors: Liyong Wang; Ashley Beecham; Nicole Dueker; Susan H Blanton; Tatjana Rundek; Ralph L Sacco Journal: Hum Genet Date: 2015-08-30 Impact factor: 4.132
Authors: Sara B Jones; Laura Loehr; Christy L Avery; Rebecca F Gottesman; Lisa Wruck; Eyal Shahar; Wayne D Rosamond Journal: Stroke Date: 2015-09-24 Impact factor: 7.914
Authors: Shun Kohsaka; Zhezhen Jin; Tatjana Rundek; Shunichi Homma; Ralph L Sacco; Marco R Di Tullio Journal: Atherosclerosis Date: 2011-08-16 Impact factor: 5.162
Authors: Liyong Wang; Ashley Beecham; Marco R Di Tullio; Susan Slifer; Susan H Blanton; Tatjana Rundek; Ralph L Sacco Journal: BMC Med Genet Date: 2009-07-23 Impact factor: 2.103