Alcohol drinking patterns may determine the risk of hypertension and may also modify the detrimental effect of high alcohol intake. We prospectively evaluated the effect of the Mediterranean alcohol-drinking pattern and its interaction with the amount of alcohol consumed on the incidence of arterial hypertension. In the "Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra" (SUN) cohort, we followed-up 13,805 participants, all of them initially free of hypertension, during a maximum period of 16 years.
Information about diet, chronic diseases, lifestyle and newly diagnosed hypertension was collected using validated questionnaires. We used a 7-item score (0 to 9 points) that jointly considered moderate alcohol consumption, distributed over the week, with meals, and a preference for red wine and avoidance of binge-drinking.
During 142,404 person-years of follow-up, 1443 incident cases of hypertension were identified. Low adherence (score < 2) to the Mediterranean alcohol-drinking pattern was significantly associated with a higher incidence of hypertension (multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio 1.81, 95% confidence interval 1.09-2.99) as compared to the high-adherence (score > 7) category. Among alcohol consumers, a high adherence to the MADP is associated with a lower incidence of hypertension. Compared with abstinence, a high adherence did not seem to differ regarding its effect on hypertension risk.
We examined whether the often-reported protective association of alcohol with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk could arise from confounding. Our sample comprised 908 men (56-67 years), free of prevalent CVD. Participants were categorized into 6 groups: never drinkers, former drinkers, and very light (1-4 drinks in past 14 days), light (5-14 drinks), moderate (15-28 drinks), and at-risk (>28 drinks) drinkers.
Generalized linear mixed effect models examined the associations of alcohol use with three established CVD risk scores: The Framingham Risk Score (FRS); the atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD) risk score; and the Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) Severity score, adjusting for group differences in demographics, body size, and health-related behaviors. In separate models we additionally adjusted for several groups of potentially explanatory factors including socioeconomic status, social support, physical and mental health status, childhood factors, and prior history of alcohol misuse.
Results showed lower CVD risk among light and moderate alcohol drinkers, relative to very light drinkers, for all CVD risk scores, independent of demographics, body size, and health-related behaviors. Alcohol-CVD risk associations were robust to further adjustment for several groups of potential explanatory factors.
Study limitations include the all-male sample with limited racial and ethnic diversity, and the inability to adjust for sugar consumption and for patterns of alcohol consumption.
Although this observational study does not address causation, results show that middle-aged men who consume alcohol in moderation have lower CVD risk and better cardiometabolic health than men who consume little or no alcohol, independent of a variety of health, behavioral, psychosocial, and earlier life factors.
We examined whether the often-reported protective association of alcohol with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk could arise from confounding. Our sample comprised 908 men (56-67 years), free of prevalent CVD. Participants were categorized into 6 groups: never drinkers, former drinkers, and very light (1-4 drinks in past 14 days), light (5-14 drinks), moderate (15-28 drinks), and at-risk (>28 drinks) drinkers. Generalized linear mixed effect models examined the associations of alcohol use with three established CVD risk scores: The Framingham Risk Score (FRS); the atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD) risk score; and the Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) Severity score, adjusting for group differences in demographics, body size, and health-related behaviors. In separate models we additionally adjusted for several groups of potentially explanatory factors including socioeconomic status, social support, physical and mental health status, childhood factors, and prior history of alcohol misuse. Results showed lower CVD risk among light and moderate alcohol drinkers, relative to very light drinkers, for all CVD risk scores, independent of demographics, body size, and health-related behaviors. Alcohol-CVD risk associations were robust to further adjustment for several groups of potential explanatory factors. Study limitations include the all-male sample with limited racial and ethnic diversity, and the inability to adjust for sugar consumption and for patterns of alcohol consumption. Although this observational study does not address causation, results show that middle-aged men who consume alcohol in moderation have lower CVD risk and better cardiometabolic health than men who consume little or no alcohol, independent of a variety of health, behavioral, psychosocial, and earlier life factors.
BACKGROUND: Cardiometabolic disease, including cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D), can result in serious late effects in patients with cancer. Preventing long-term complications in this population is an increasingly important priority in public health and clinical practice.
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of a healthy lifestyle in the transition from a healthy status to the development of cancer and subsequent CVD and T2D.
METHODS: The analysis was based on data from the UK Biobank and included 2 subsamples: a cancer-free cohort of 397,136 individuals in the general population and a cancer-prevalent cohort of 35,564 patients with cancer. All participants were 40 to 70 years of age and were free of CVD and T2D at recruitment. A healthy lifestyle that included no current smoking, regular physical activity, a healthy diet, and moderate alcohol consumption and sleep duration were included in a healthy lifestyle index (HLI).
RESULTS: In the cancer-free cohort, during a maximum follow-up period of 15 years, 6.38% and 4.18% of patients with cancer developed CVD and T2D, respectively. A healthy lifestyle significantly mitigated the risk for transition from cancer to subsequent CVD and T2D, with HRs per 1-point increment in HLI of 0.90 (95% CI: 0.86-0.94) and 0.84 (95% CI: 0.79-0.89), respectively. In the cancer-prevalent cohort, each 1-point increment in HLI was similarly associated with lower risk for CVD (HR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.87-0.93) and T2D (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.83-0.91) in cancer survivors.
CONCLUSIONS: A healthy lifestyle is associated with a slower transition from cancer development to the subsequent development of CVD and T2D. Moreover, among patients with cancer, a healthy lifestyle is associated with lower risk for CVD and T2D. This study highlights the practical benefits of adherence to a healthy lifestyle.