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. 2002 Feb 5;136(3):181-91.
doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-136-3-200202050-00005.

Alcohol consumption and risk for congestive heart failure in the Framingham Heart Study

Craig R Walsh  1 , Martin G Larson, Jane C Evans, Luc Djousse, R Curtis Ellison, Ramachandran S Vasan, Daniel Levy
Affiliations

Alcohol consumption and risk for congestive heart failure in the Framingham Heart Study

Craig R Walsh et al. Ann Intern Med. .

Abstract

Background: Although excessive alcohol consumption can promote cardiomyopathy, little is known about the association between alcohol consumption and risk for congestive heart failure in the community.

Objective: To determine the relation between alcohol consumption and risk for congestive heart failure in the community.

Design: Community-based, prospective observational study.

Setting: Framingham, Massachusetts.

Participants: Participants in the Framingham Heart Study who were free of congestive heart failure and coronary heart disease.

Measurements: Self-reported alcohol consumption; sex-specific rates of congestive heart failure per 1000 person-years of follow-up by level of alcohol consumption.

Results: In men, 99 cases of congestive heart failure occurred during 26 035 person-years of follow-up. In women, 120 cases of congestive heart failure occurred during 35 563 person-years of follow-up. After adjustment for multiple confounders, risk for congestive heart failure was lower among men at all levels of alcohol consumption compared with men who consumed less than 1 drink/wk. The hazard ratio for congestive heart failure was lowest among men who consumed 8 to 14 drinks/wk (0.41 [95% CI, 0.21 to 0.81]) compared with those who consumed less than 1 drink/wk. In women, the age-adjusted hazard ratio for congestive heart failure was lowest among those who consumed 3 to 7 drinks/wk (0.49 [CI, 0.25 to 0.96]) compared with those who consumed less than 1 drink/wk. However, after adjustment for multiple predictors of congestive heart failure, this association was no longer statistically significant.

Conclusions: In the community, alcohol consumption is not associated with increased risk for congestive heart failure, even among heavy drinkers (> or = 15 drinks/wk in men and > or = 8 drinks/wk in women). To the contrary, when consumed in moderation, alcohol appears to protect against congestive heart failure.

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Comment in

  • Stirred, not shaken.
    Wynne J. Wynne J. Ann Intern Med. 2002 Feb 5;136(3):247-9. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-136-3-200202050-00013. Ann Intern Med. 2002. PMID: 11827501 No abstract available.
  • Alcohol and congestive heart failure.
    Dong X. Dong X. Ann Intern Med. 2003 Jan 7;138(1):75-6; author reply 75-6. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-138-1-200301070-00018. Ann Intern Med. 2003. PMID: 12513051 No abstract available.
  • Alcohol and congestive heart failure.
    Ahmed A, Allman RM. Ahmed A, et al. Ann Intern Med. 2003 Jan 7;138(1):75-6. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-138-1-200301070-00019. Ann Intern Med. 2003. PMID: 12513052 No abstract available.

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