Alcohol and Mortality: a U-shaped Curve

In a longitudinal study of civil servants, 1422 men were classified according to their average daily alcohol intake. Over 10 years of follow-up, the mortality rate was lower in men reporting moderate alcohol intake than in either non-drinkers or heavier drinkers (greater than 34 g alcohol per day). Cardiovascular mortality was greater in non-drinkers and non-cardiovascular mortality was greater in the heavier drinkers. The heavier drinkers had higher mean blood pressures and contained a greater proportion of smokers. A multivariate analysis showed this U-shaped relationship between reported alcohol consumption and subsequent mortality to be largely independent of differences in smoking, blood pressure, plasma cholesterol, and grade of employment.