WINE AND NON-WINE ALCOHOL - DIFFERENTIAL EFFECT ON ALL-CAUSE AND CAUSE-SPECIFIC MORTALITY

The relationship between alcohol consumption levels and mortality rate s from all causes, coronary heart disease (CHD), cerebrovascular disea se (CVA), total cancer (TCA) and chronic liver disease (CLD) in men an d women aged 55-64 and 65-74 years for the period 1987-1989 or 1988-19 90 has been examined. Both total alcohol consumption and the types of alcohol (wine and non-wine-derived alcohol) obtained from FAO food bal ance sheets (1979-1981) for 26 industrialized countries were analyzed. Besides univariate analysis, multiple regression analysis (MRA) was p erformed taking into account saturated fatty acid intake levels (n = 2 1) and 24-h urinary sodium to creatinine ratios (n = 14) for CVA morta lity. Only the level of wine alcohol consumption correlated significan tly and negatively with CHD mortality in both sexes, in both age class es, and in both analyses (P<0.05-0.001). Both wine and non-wine alcoho l consumption levels correlated positively and significantly with TCA minus lung cancer mortality in men (P<0.01) and with CLD mortality (P< 0.05-0.001) in both sexes by MRA. Neither wine alcohol nor non-wine al cohol consumption reached a significance level in MRA for CVA mortalit y, except wine for women in the age class 65-74 years. Non-wine alcoho l but not wine alcohol consumption correlated significantly and positi vely with all-cause mortality in men (P<0.05-0.01). But in MRA, no sig nificant relationship between all-cause mortality and alcohol consumpt ion levels, either as wine or non-wine alcohol, was observed. The poss ibility that an ingredient other than ethanol may contribute to a redu ction in CHD mortality is suggested by the negative relationship with CHD mortality obtained for wine only. This decrease in mortality from CHD was counteracted by an increase in mortality from TCA and CLD. Alc ohol does not appear to decrease age-specific all-cause mortality with in the age range examined.