MODERATE ALCOHOL-CONSUMPTION AND RISK FOR ANGINA-PECTORIS OR MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION IN US MALE PHYSICIANS

Background: Although previous studies have found that moderate alcohol intake decreases the risk for myocardial infarction, many clinicians question the validity of this finding. Furthermore, the relation of mo derate drinking to the risk for other events, such as angina pectoris, is not known, Objective: To determine whether moderate alcohol in tak e decreases the risk for angina pectoris or myocardial infarction in a pparently healthy men. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Unit ed States. Participants: 22 071 apparently healthy male physicians who were 40 to 84 years of age between 1981 and 1984. Measurements: Respo nses to annual questionnaires. Results: Through 1994, 1368 cases of ne w-onset angina and 690 cases of myocardial infarction had been documen ted. In multivariate analyses that controlled for several potential co nfounders, alcohol intake was strongly and inversely associated with t he risk for each event (P for trend < 0.001). Compare with men who con sumed less than one drink per week, those who consumed one drink per d ay had relative risks of 0.69 (95% CI, 0.59 to 0.81) for angina and 0. 65 (CI, 0.52 to 0.81) for myocardial infarction. These associations we re seen when either nondrinkers or occasional drinkers were used as th e reference group. Conclusions: Moderate drinking decreases the risk f or angina pectoris and myocardial infarction in apparently heal-thy me n.