Regular moderate alcohol consumption may be a protective

factor for cardiovascular disease. However, the effect

of alcohol consumption immediately prior to cardiovascular

events has not been studied extensively. Researchers conducted

a “case-crossover” study in 250 first-time nonfatal

acute myocardial infarction (AMI) cases to assess the influence

of alcohol consumption in the 12 hours preceding

AMI. Each case served as its own control; i.e., the control

information for each subject was based on his or her own

past behavior. The 12 hours preceding AMI was considered

the hazard period, while the corresponding time period a

week before AMI was the control period.

 

Drinking any alcohol in the hazard period increased

the risk for AMI threefold (odds ratio [OR], 3.1); even

moderate drinking (U24 g of ethanol for women and

U36 g for men) more than doubled it (OR, 2.3).

 

 Of the 187 subjects who drank any alcohol, 15 men

and 2 women reported heavy episodic drinking (4+

drinks per occasion for women and 5+ drinks for

men). The association between heavy episodic drinking

and AMI was not significant (OR, 3.0).

 

 These results were not influenced by known risk factors

for AMI (age, gender, smoking status, family history

of AMI, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes,

prior unstable angina pectoris, physical exertion

shortly before the event, psychological stress, or cocaine

use) in adjusted analyses.

 

 Compared with an age- and sex-matched general

population sample, subjects with AMI had more frequent

heavy episodic drinking (less than monthly, 21%

versus 11%; monthly or more, 7% versus 3%) and were

more likely to drink irregularly, i.e., less than weekly

(29% versus 16%).

 

Comments: Drinking any alcohol increased the risk for AMI in

the next 12 hours in this study. Researchers were not able

to demonstrate a significant association between heavy episodic

drinking and AMI due to the small number of exposed

subjects; however, the sample had higher rates of heavy and

irregular drinking compared with the general population,

giving some support to the hypotheses that heavy drinking

increases AMI risk, and that pattern of drinking is important

when assessing the risk for cardiovascular events. The relationship

between alcohol use and cardiovascular events is

likely not as simple as is commonly thought.

 

Source: Gerlich MG, Krämer A, Gmel G, et al. Patterns

Gerlich MG, Krämer A, Gmel G, et al. Patterns

of alcohol consumption and acute myocardial infarction: a

case-crossover analysis. Eur Addict Res. 2009;15(3):143–149