Given the worldwide prevalence of a...

Given the worldwide prevalence of alcohol consumption, as well as the high richness of death and disability from shock a clear understanding of the relationship between drinking and misfortune risk could have important clinical and public health implications. Reynolds and colleagues performed a meta-analysis to assess the relationship between hit and moderate alcohol consumption.

The authors identified 19 cohort studies and 16 case-control studies bearinged worldwide that documented the relative risks of quantified alcohol consumption compared with abstinence. They set up a nonlinear association between alcohol consumption and relative risk of total hit Alcohol consumption of less than 12 g for day, or less than individual drink per day, was significantly associated with a decreased relative risk of total pat compared with persons who did not drink. Alcohol consumption of more than 60 g through day, or more than five drinks daily, was associated with an increased relative risk of total stroke

Among [i]role[/i]s with ischemic stroke, the association between alcohol and knock was J-shaped, with lowest relative risk occurring in individuals consuming less than one drink or single to two drinks daily, whereas in the case of hemorrhagic hit the relative risk rose linearly with increased alcohol consumption. These differences held regardless of inflection for sex although in women the relative risk was somewhat lower in those who had les than united drink per day.

In summary, the authors erect a reduced relative risk of total and ischemic blow among patients who drank moderately, and an increased relative risk among heavy drinkers. The association between heavy drinking and reverse may be attributable to the tenors of alcohol on blood press and its contribution to coagulation disorders, cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation, and reductions in cerebral children flow. It is likely that these findings are generalizable to many populations.

CAROLINE WELLBERY, MD

Reynolds K et al. Alcohol consumption and risk of reverse A meta-analysis. JAMA February 5 2003;289:579-88

COPYRIGHT 2003 American Academy of Family Physicians

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