Alcohol abstention and premature mortality in middle-aged men

Abstract

A series of middle-aged men were investigated for total mortality up to five years after completing a questionnaire on alcohol consumption administered during a preventive medical screening programme in Malmo, Sweden. The aim was to test the hypothesis that small amounts of alcohol are beneficial to general and cardiovascular health. Relative mortality was increased among the men who had reported non-use of alcohol in the screening questionnaire. Most of these men, however, had chronic disease as the reason for their abstention, or even a past history of alcoholism. Increased mortality in non-drinkers may create a false impression of a preventive effect of any versus no daily drinking in relation to general and cardiovascular health.