TY - JOUR
T1 - Is self-reported moderate drinking in the cardiovascular benefit range associated with alcoholic behavior? a population based study
AU - Ammar, Khawaja Afzal
AU - Samee, Saquib
AU - Colligan, Robert
AU - Morse, Robert
AU - Faheem, Osman
AU - Shapiro, Molly
AU - Kors, Jan
AU - Rodeheffer, Richard J.
N1 - Funding Information:
Khawaja Afzal Ammar, Robert Colligan, Robert Morse, and Richard J. Rodeheffer are affiliated with the Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Rochester, MN. Saquib Samee and Osman Faheem are affiliated with the University of Connecticut Health Sciences Center, Farmington, CT. Molly Shapiro is affiliated with Olmsted Medical Center, Rochester, MN. Jan Kors is affiliated with the Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Address correspondence to: Khawaja Afzal Ammar, MD, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905 (E-mail: ammar.khawaja@mayo.edu). Supported by grants from the Public Health Service (NIH HL 555902 and the Mayo Foundation.
PY - 2009/7
Y1 - 2009/7
N2 - This article aims at identifying a threshold number of drinks per day beyond which there is a high risk of developing alcoholic behavior that would enable physicians to more confidently support the use of alcohol for cardiovascular risk prevention. In a randomly selected, population-based sample of 2,042 adults 45 years or older, we graded alcohol drinking behavior using the Self-Administered Alcoholism Screening Test, quantified alcohol amount by questionnaire, and assessed the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (coronary, peripheral, or cerebrovascular disease) by medical record review. Although optimal alcohol use (≤2 drinks/day) was associated with reduced odds of cardiovascular disease, 43% of alcoholics and 82% of problem drinkers reported alcohol use in the optimal range as well. The association of alcohol use in the optimal range with alcohol-related behavioral problems supports the reluctance in physicians from recommending alcohol use for cardiovascular benefit, not withstanding the underreporting of alcohol use by alcoholics.
AB - This article aims at identifying a threshold number of drinks per day beyond which there is a high risk of developing alcoholic behavior that would enable physicians to more confidently support the use of alcohol for cardiovascular risk prevention. In a randomly selected, population-based sample of 2,042 adults 45 years or older, we graded alcohol drinking behavior using the Self-Administered Alcoholism Screening Test, quantified alcohol amount by questionnaire, and assessed the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (coronary, peripheral, or cerebrovascular disease) by medical record review. Although optimal alcohol use (≤2 drinks/day) was associated with reduced odds of cardiovascular disease, 43% of alcoholics and 82% of problem drinkers reported alcohol use in the optimal range as well. The association of alcohol use in the optimal range with alcohol-related behavioral problems supports the reluctance in physicians from recommending alcohol use for cardiovascular benefit, not withstanding the underreporting of alcohol use by alcoholics.
KW - Alcohol
KW - Alcoholism
KW - Coronary heart disease
KW - Risk factor
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U2 - 10.1080/10550880903014205
DO - 10.1080/10550880903014205
M3 - Article
C2 - 20155593
AN - SCOPUS:70449644562
VL - 28
SP - 243
EP - 249
JO - Journal of Addictive Diseases
JF - Journal of Addictive Diseases
SN - 1055-0887
IS - 3
ER -