Alcohol consumption, arterial blood pressure and general mortality rate: Twenty-years follow-up study

Abstract

Background. Alcohol consumption has both adverse and beneficial effects on health and survival. The aim of this prospective study was to examine the association between alcohol consumption and arterial hypertension as well as general mortality rate. Methods. The study included 286 participants, middle-aged men and women examined in 1974, and again in 1994 during twenty years of follow-up (mean age at the beginning of the study 43.61?7.09 years). Alcohol consumption was assessed by the specific questionnaire. Consumption levels were grouped into three categories: rare drinkers (consuming less than 6 drinks a week), moderate drinkers, who consume 1-2 alcohol drinks a day and heavy drinkers (consumers of 3 or more drinks a day). Results. In both phases of the follow-up the lowest values of systolic and diastolic pressure were recorded in the group with moderate alcohol consumption, and the highest values in the group with excessive consumption. The observed differences were statistically significant. The general mortality rates were the highest among participants reporting excessive alcohol consumption (relative risk 3.2; 95% confidence interval 1.84-5.62), and among the abstainers (relative risk 1.8; 95% confidence interval 0.99-3.36), compared to the moderate consumption group. Conclusion. Analysis of the obtained results suggested the protective effect of moderate alcohol consumption on cardiovascular system.Uvod. Konzumiranje alkohola moze imati i stetne i korisne efekte na zdravlje. Cilj ove dvadesetogodisnje studije je bio da se ispita povezanost konzumiranja alkohola sa visinom arterijskog pritiska i opstim mortalitetom. Metode. Studija je obuhvatila 286 ispitanika oba pola, srednje zivotne dobi (prosecna starost na pocetku istrazivanja 43,61 ? 7,09 godina), pracenih u dvadesetogodisnjem periodu (od 1974. do 1994. godine). Konzumiranje alkohola procenjeno je na osnovu pitanja iz upitnika. Ispitanici su prekategorisani u tri grupe: grupa koja pije retko (manje od 6 pica nedeljno), grupa koja pije umereno, odnosno 1 do 2 pica dnevno i grupa koja prekomerno pije alkohol (3 i vise alkoholnih pica dnevno). Rezultati. U obe faze istrazivanja najnize vrednosti sistolnog i dijastolnog pritiska su zabelezene u grupi ispitanika koja je umereno konzumirala alkoholna pica, a najvise u grupi koja je prekomerno konzumirala alkohol. Uocena razlika je bila statisticki znacajna. Najveca smrtnost je zabelezena u grupi sa prekomernim unosom alkohola (relativni rizik 3,2; 95% interval poverenja 1,84-5,62) i u grupi koja retko konzumira alkohol (relativni rizik 1,8; 95% interval poverenja 0,99-3,36) u odnosu na grupu sa umerenim unosom. Zakljucak. Analizom dobijenih rezultata moze se zakljuciti da umereno konzumiranje alkohola ima zastitno dejstvo na kardiovaskularni sistem.