BACKGROUND: Moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a reduced risk of total mortality among Caucasian women. Whether moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a reduced risk of total mortality among African-American or hypertensive women is unclear. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study among 10,576 black and 105,610 white postmenopausal women from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), without a history of cancer or cardiovascular disease, who completed the baseline examinations in 1994-1998. RESULTS: During the mean 8 years of follow-up, 5,608 women died. Moderate drinking (1 to <7 drinks/week) was associated with a lower risk of total mortality among Caucasians (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.72-0.91) and hypertensives (HR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.65-0.87) as compared with lifetime abstention from alcohol. Among African-American moderate drinkers the risk of total mortality was HR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.67-1.3. Current drinking (<1 drink/month or greater) was associated with a lower risk of mortality among Caucasians, including hypertensives and nonhypertensives, and hypertensive African Americans (HR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.54-0.99) but not among nonhypertensive African Americans (HR = 1.31, 95% CI = 0.79-2.16). The stratified comparisons among African Americans were affected by the low prevalence of moderate drinking (14.6%) and the low mortality rate (37.5/10,000) among the nonhypertensive lifetime abstainers. CONCLUSION: Moderate drinking is associated with a lower risk of total mortality among Caucasian women. Current drinking is associated with a lower risk of total mortality among Caucasians, regardless of hypertensive status, and hypertensive but not nonhypertensive African-American women. The latter observation was affected by the low mortality rate among the African-American nonhypertensive lifetime abstainers.
BACKGROUND: Moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a reduced risk of total mortality among Caucasian women. Whether moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a reduced risk of total mortality among African-American or hypertensivewomen is unclear. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study among 10,576 black and 105,610 white postmenopausal women from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), without a history of cancer or cardiovascular disease, who completed the baseline examinations in 1994-1998. RESULTS: During the mean 8 years of follow-up, 5,608 women died. Moderate drinking (1 to <7 drinks/week) was associated with a lower risk of total mortality among Caucasians (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.72-0.91) and hypertensives (HR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.65-0.87) as compared with lifetime abstention from alcohol. Among African-American moderate drinkers the risk of total mortality was HR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.67-1.3. Current drinking (<1 drink/month or greater) was associated with a lower risk of mortality among Caucasians, including hypertensives and nonhypertensives, and hypertensive African Americans (HR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.54-0.99) but not among nonhypertensive African Americans (HR = 1.31, 95% CI = 0.79-2.16). The stratified comparisons among African Americans were affected by the low prevalence of moderate drinking (14.6%) and the low mortality rate (37.5/10,000) among the nonhypertensive lifetime abstainers. CONCLUSION: Moderate drinking is associated with a lower risk of total mortality among Caucasian women. Current drinking is associated with a lower risk of total mortality among Caucasians, regardless of hypertensive status, and hypertensive but not nonhypertensive African-American women. The latter observation was affected by the low mortality rate among the African-American nonhypertensive lifetime abstainers.
Authors: J David Curb; Anne McTiernan; Susan R Heckbert; Charles Kooperberg; Janet Stanford; Michael Nevitt; Karen C Johnson; Lori Proulx-Burns; Lisa Pastore; Michael Criqui; Sandra Daugherty Journal: Ann Epidemiol Date: 2003-10 Impact factor: 3.797
Authors: Joline W J Beulens; Eric B Rimm; Alberto Ascherio; Donna Spiegelman; Henk F J Hendriks; Kenneth J Mukamal Journal: Ann Intern Med Date: 2007-01-02 Impact factor: 25.391
Authors: Karen L Margolis; JoAnn E Manson; Philip Greenland; Rebecca J Rodabough; Paul F Bray; Monika Safford; Richard H Grimm; Barbara V Howard; Annlouise R Assaf; Ross Prentice Journal: Arch Intern Med Date: 2005-03-14
Authors: C S Fuchs; M J Stampfer; G A Colditz; E L Giovannucci; J E Manson; I Kawachi; D J Hunter; S E Hankinson; C H Hennekens; B Rosner Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 1995-05-11 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: A J Palmer; A E Fletcher; C J Bulpitt; D G Beevers; E C Coles; J G Ledingham; J C Petrie; J Webster; C T Dollery Journal: J Hypertens Date: 1995-09 Impact factor: 4.844