Alcohol Consumption and Lower Extremity Arterial Disease among Older Adults
American Journal of Epidemiology Advance Access published online on October 29, 2007




Few studies of the relation of alcohol intake to lower-extremity arterial disease (LEAD) have included clinical events and objective measurements repeated longitudinally.

As part of the Cardiovascular Health Study, a study of older adults from four US communities, 5,635 participants reported their use of beer, wine, and spirits yearly. Incident LEAD was identified by hospitalization surveillance. Technicians measured ankle-brachial index 6 years apart in 2,298 participants. A total of 172 cases of LEAD were documented during a mean of 7.5 years of follow-up between 1989 and 1999.

Compared with abstention, the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios were 1.10 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.71, 1.71) for <1> drink per week, 0.56 (95% CI: 0.33, 0.95) for 1–13 drinks per week, and 1.02 (95% CI: 0.53, 1.97) for 14 drinks per week (p for quadratic trend = 0.04). These relations were consistent within strata of sex, age, and apolipoprotein E genotype, and neither lipids nor inflammatory markers appeared to be important intermediates. Change in ankle-brachial index showed a similar relation (p for quadratic trend = 0.01).

Alcohol consumption of 1–13 drinks per week in older adults may be associated with lower risk of LEAD, but heavier drinking is not associated with lower risk.


Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail: kmukamal@bidmc.harvard.edu
_________________________________________________________________