© 1996 by European Journal of Public Health
SHORT REPORT |
Moderate alcohol intake and risk of myocardial infarction among non-smokers
FILIPPO RABAJOLI, DANIELA ARNEODO, FRANCO BALZOLA, LINDA LEO and PAOLO VINEIS
Divisione di Cardiologia, Ospedale S. Luigi Gonzaga, Orbassano (To), Italy
Centro Studi Lavazza, Torino, Italy
Divisione di Dietologia, Ospedale Maggiore e 5. Giovanni Battista, VSL VIII, Torino, Italy
Servizio di Epidemologia dei Tumori, Dipartmento di Scienze Biomediche e Oncologia Umana, Torino, Italy
Correspondence: P. Vineis, M.D., Servizio di Epidemiologia dei Tumori, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Oncologia Umana, Via Santena 7, 10126 Torino, Italy, tel. +39 11 6706525, fax +39 11 6706692
We have conducted a hospital-based case-control study on 157 patients with newly diagnosed myocardial infarction and 157 hospital controls. All were men, 3569 years old and non-smokers or ex-smokers of at least 6 months. A clearcut inverse dose-response relationship was found between alcohol intake (chiefly red wine) and risk of Ml (odds ratios were 0.69, 0.43 and 0.42, for those drinking 130, 3090 and >90 drinks per month, compared to <1). Adjustment by coronary risk factors in logistic-regression models increased the strength of the association with alcohol. Protection was somewhat stronger than in studies conducted in countries where the consumption of beer or liquors is heavier than that of wine. The protective effect might be due to the antioxidant properties of phenolic substances contained in red wine.
Keywords: myocardial infarction, alcohol, red wine, case-control study