Alcohol consumption is negatively associated with the prevalence of coronary heart disease in the New Mexico Elder Health Survey

OBJECTIVE: To compare the prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) and th e effects of various risk factors, including alcohol consumption, on preval ence rates in a randomly selected sample of older Hispanic and non-Hispanic white (NHW) men and women. DESIGN AND SETTING: A cross-sectional study of equal numbers of Hispanic an d NHW men and women, selected randomly from Health Care Financing Authority (Medicare) rolls, recruited for a home interview followed by a 4-hour inte rview/examination in a senior health clinic. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 883 volunteers, mean age 74.1, years were intervie wed/examined. MEASUREMENTS: CHD was identified by interview and electrocardiogram. Risk f actors were identified by interview (hypertension, diabetes, medications, s moking, alcohol consumption) and by direct measurements (glucose tolerance, serum lipids, blood pressure, anthropometry). RESULTS: The age-adjusted prevalences of CHD were not significantly differe nt when Hispanic men and women were compared with their NHW counterparts. A ge-, ethnicity-, and gender-adjusted relative risk of CHD was inversely ass ociated with alcohol consumption (OR .46; 95% CI,.28 -.73; P < .001). Hyper tension, diabetes mellitus, and male gender were also significant risk fact ors; age, anthropometric measurements, smoking, serum lipid concentrations, and level of education were not. HDL cholesterol levels were significantly lower in nondrinkers; other lipid levels were not associated with alcohol consumption. The type of alcoholic beverage was nor associated with the pre valence of CHD. CONCLUSIONS: No significant differences in CHD prevalence existed between H ispanic and NHW participants despite a higher prevalence of diabetes and ce ntral obesity in Hispanics. Alcohol consumption was strongly negatively ass ociated with the prevalence of CHD identified in this older, biethnic popul ation.