Changes in drinking habits in middle-aged British men.

The drinking behaviour of 7735 middle-aged men drawn from general practices in 24 British towns was determined in 1978-80 and five years later in 1983-85. Those with heavier initial drinking were more likely to have reduced consumption after five years. At every level of consumption manual workers showed a greater tendency to decrease drinking than non-manual workers. Of those who became non-drinkers over the five years, 12% had been moderate or heavy drinkers. Men who were told by a doctor that they had developed ischaemic heart disease during the five years were more likely to reduce their alcohol consumption than men who remained free of ischaemic heart disease. Similarly, men who were put on regular medical treatment of any kind or who acquired two or more diagnoses of illness (including ischaemic heart disease) were more likely to become occasional or non-drinkers. Nondrinkers at both reviews had higher rates of diagnosed illness than drinkers. In particular, the ex-drinkers, who comprised 70% of non-drinkers at follow up, had higher rates of ischaemic heart disease and cardiovascular-related problems, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, than drinkers.It is essential to be aware of the tendency for moderate or heavy drinkers to reduce or stop drinking over time, particularly if illness has been diagnosed. Non-drinkers and exdrinkers should not be used as a baseline in studies relating alcohol to disease.