Alcohol and mortality in the Busselton study

Abstract

Non-smoking Busselton men and women who classed themselves in 1966 as non-drinkers had significantly higher 13-year mortality from all causes and from cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared with non-smoking drinkers. Such findings are the first to be reported in women. Smoking had no observed effect on the mortality of Busselton's non-drinkers, but in drinkers, smoking was associated with significantly higher mortalities from all causes CVD, CHD, and cancer compared with those of smoking non-drinkers. For all subjects, the recent prospective studies from Busselton and other selected populations have indicated that the lowest rates of total mortality have been found in those whose daily alcohol consumption ranged between 1-30 mls/day.