A dose-response meta-analysis on the relationship between average amount of alcohol consumed and death by suicide.

BACKGROUND: To determine whether sub-clinical levels of drinking may contribute to suicide risk, and whether the risk differs by sex, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between average amount of alcohol consumed per day and death by suicide. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed in Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science from database inception up to April 27, 2022. The search strategies incorporated a combination of medical subject headings and keywords for "alcohol use" and "suicide". One-stage dose-response meta-analyses using a restricted maximum likelihood random-effect estimator were conducted to explore the relationship between average alcohol volume consumed and suicide, by sex. Three different shapes of the dose-response relationship-linear (on the log-scale), quadratic, and restrictive cubic splines-were tested. RESULTS: A total of eight studies were included (three studies for females (n=781,205), and eight studies for males (n=1,215,772)). A linear dose-response relationship between average alcohol volume consumed and the log-risk of suicide was identified for both males and females. For males and females, a relative risk (RR) of 1.11 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.18) and 1.64 (95% CI: 1.07, 2.51) for suicide when consuming an average of 10 g of pure alcohol per day compared to lifetime abstention, 1.38 (95% CI: 1.14, 1.66) and 4.39 (95% CI: 1.21, 15.88) for 30g/day, and 1.71 (95% CI: 1.25, 2.33) and 11.75 (95% CI: 1.38, 100.33) for 50g/day, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: As consumption increases, the risk of suicide increases proportionally. The risk of suicide associated with average daily alcohol consumption may be elevated for females, compared with males. Albeit, more research is needed, particularly among females.

The risk relationships between alcohol consumption, alcohol use disorder and alcohol use disorder mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Increasing levels of alcohol use are associated with a risk of developing an alcohol use disorder (AUD), which, in turn, is associated with considerable burden. Our aim was to estimate the risk relationships between alcohol consumption and AUD incidence and mortality. METHOD: A systematic literature search was conducted, using Medline, Embase, PsycINFO and Web of Science for case-control or cohort studies published between 1 January 2000 and 8 July 2022. These were required to report alcohol consumption, AUD incidence and/or AUD mortality (including 100% alcohol-attributable deaths). The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022343201). Dose-response and random-effects meta-analyses were used to determine the risk relationships between alcohol consumption and AUD incidence and mortality and mortality rates in AUD patients, respectively. RESULTS: Of the 5904 reports identified, seven and three studies from high-income countries and Brazil met the inclusion criteria for quantitative and qualitative syntheses, respectively. In addition, two primary US data sources were analyzed. Higher levels of alcohol consumption increased the risk of developing or dying from an AUD exponentially. At an average consumption of four standard drinks (assuming 10 g of pure alcohol/standard drink) per day, the risk of developing an AUD was increased sevenfold [relative risk (RR) = 7.14, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 5.13-9.93] and the risk of dying fourfold (RR = 3.94, 95% CI = 3.53-4.40) compared with current non-drinkers. The mortality rate in AUD patients was 3.13 (95% CI = 1.07-9.13) per 1000 person-years. CONCLUSIONS: There are exponential positive risk relationships between alcohol use and both alcohol use disorder incidence and mortality. Even at an average consumption of 20 g/day (about one large beer), the risk of developing an alcohol use disorder (AUD) is nearly threefold that of current non-drinkers and the risk of dying from an AUD is approximately double that of current non-drinkers.

Alcoholic beverage types consumed by population subgroups in the United States: Implications for alcohol policy to address health disparities.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to identify alcoholic beverage types more likely to be consumed by demographic subgroups with greater alcohol-related health risk than others, mainly individuals with low socio-economic status, racial/ethnic minority status and high drinking levels. METHODS: Fractional logit modelling was performed using a nationally representative sample of US adult drinkers (analytic N = 37,657) from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions Waves 2 (2004-2005) and 3 (2012-2013). The outcomes were the proportions of pure alcohol consumed as beer, wine, liquor and coolers (defined as wine-/malt-/liquor-based coolers, hard lemonade, hard cider and any prepackaged cocktails of alcohol and mixer). RESULTS: Adults with lower education and low or medium income were more likely to drink beer, liquor and coolers, while those with a 4-year college/advanced degree and those with high income preferred wine. Excepting Asian adults, racial/ethnic minority adults were more likely to drink beer (Hispanics) and liquor (Blacks), compared with White adults. High- or very-high-level drinkers were more likely to consume liquor and beer and less likely to consume wine (and coolers), compared with low-level drinkers. High-level and very-high-level drinkers, who were less than 10% of all drinkers, consumed over half of the total volume of beer, liquor and coolers consumed by all adults. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with low socio-economic status, racial/ethnic minority status or high drinking level prefer liquor and beer. As alcohol taxes, sales and marketing practices all are beverage-specific, targeted approaches to reduce consumption of these beverages, particularly among individuals with these profiles, are warranted.

Differential Associations of Alcohol Use With Ischemic Heart Disease Mortality by Socioeconomic Status in the US, 1997-2018.

Importance: People with low socioeconomic status (SES) experience greater burden from alcohol-attributable health conditions and mortality at equal levels of alcohol consumption compared with those with high SES. A U-shaped association has been established between alcohol use and ischemic heart disease (IHD), but no study has explored how such an association differs by SES in the US. Objective: To investigate how the association of alcohol use with ischemic heart disease mortality differs by SES in the general US population. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study used record-linked, cross-sectional National Health Interview Survey data for US adults aged 25 years and older, covering 1997 to 2018 with mortality follow-up until 2019. Data analysis was performed from March to June 2023. Exposures: SES (operationalized using education attainment) and alcohol consumption were obtained from self-reported questionnaires. Main Outcomes and Measures: The outcome was time to IHD mortality or last presumed alive by December 31, 2019. Cox proportional hazard models were applied to evaluate the interaction of SES and alcohol use on IHD mortality, with age as the time scale. Sex-stratified analyses were performed, adjusting for race and ethnicity, marital status, smoking, body mass index, physical activity, and survey year. Fine-Gray subdistribution models were applied to account for competing risks. Results: This cohort study of 524 035 participants (mean [SD] age at baseline, 50.3 [16.2] years; 290 492 women [51.5%]) found a statistically significantly greater protective association of drinking less than 20 g per day (vs lifetime abstinence) with IHD mortality in the high-SES group compared with the low-SES group (interaction term hazard ratio [HR], 1.22 [95% CI, 1.02-1.45] in men; HR, 1.35 [95% CI, 1.09-1.67] in women). In addition, the differential associations of drinking less than 20 g per day with IHD mortality by SES were observed only among people with less than monthly heavy episodic drinking (HED) (interaction term, HR, 1.20 [95% CI, 1.01-1.43] in men; HR, 1.34 [95% CI, 1.08-1.67] in women); no difference was found in people with at least monthly HED. Among women there was a greater protective association of drinking less than 20 g per day with IHD mortality in the high-SES group than the middle-SES group (interaction term, HR, 1.35 [95% CI, 1.06-1.72]). Among men, the harmful association of drinking more than 60 g per day with IHD mortality in the low-SES group was largely explained by other behavioral risk factors (ie, smoking, body mass index, and physical activity). Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study found a greater protective association between drinking less than 20 g per day with less than monthly HED and IHD mortality in the high-SES group compared with the low-SES group, in both sexes even after adjusting for key covariables and behavioral risk factors. The findings suggest that public health interventions on alcohol use should account for different socioeconomic backgrounds when assessing the level of risk related to alcohol exposure, bearing in mind that levels of consumption deemed safe regarding a specific outcome such as IHD may indeed be less safe or not safe across all sociodemographic groups.

How does alcohol use impact morbidity and mortality of liver cirrhosis? A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol consumption is the most important risk factor responsible for the disease burden of liver cirrhosis (LC). Estimates of risk relationships available usually neither distinguish between different causes such as alcohol-related LC or hepatitis-related LC, nor differentiate between morbidity and mortality as outcome. We aimed to address this research gap and identify dose-response relationships between alcohol consumption and LC, by cause and outcome. METHODS: A systematic review using PubMed/Medline and Embase was conducted, identifying studies that reported an association between level of alcohol use and LC. Meta-regression models were used to estimate the dose-response relationships and control for heterogeneity. RESULTS: Totally, 44 studies, and 1 secondary data source, with a total of 5,122,534 participants and 15,150 cases were included. Non-linear dose-response relationships were identified, attenuated for higher levels of consumption. For morbidity, drinking 25 g/day was associated with a RR of 1.81 (95% CI 1.68-1.94) compared to lifetime abstention; 50 g/day and 100 g/day corresponded to 3.54 (95% CI 3.29-3.81) and 8.15 (95% CI 7.46-8.91), respectively. For mortality, for 25 g/day, a RR of 2.65 (95% CI 2.22-3.16); for 50 g/day, a RR of 6.83 (95% CI 5.84-7.97); for 100 g/day, a RR of 16.38 (95% CI 13.81-19.42) were identified. A higher risk for alcohol-related and all-cause LC as compared to hepatitis C-related LC was found. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated higher acceleration for mortality compared to morbidity. The current findings will inform the way we quantify the burden due to LC attributable to alcohol use.

The Relationship Between Alcohol Consumption, BMI, and Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Moderate alcohol use may be associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Previous reviews have reached mixed conclusions. PURPOSE: To quantify the dose-response relationship between alcohol consumption and T2DM, accounting for differential effects by sex and BMI. DATA SOURCES: Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and one secondary data source. STUDY SELECTION: Cohort studies on the relationship between alcohol use and T2DM. DATA EXTRACTION: Fifty-five studies, and one secondary data source, were included with a combined sample size of 1,363,355 men and 1,290,628 women, with 89,983 and 57,974 individuals, respectively, diagnosed with T2DM. DATA SYNTHESIS: Multivariate dose-response meta-analytic random-effect models were used. For women, a J-shaped relationship was found with a maximum risk reduction of 31% (relative risk [RR] 0.69, 95% CI 0.64-0.74) at an intake of 16 g of pure alcohol per day compared with lifetime abstainers. The protective association ceased above 49 g per day (RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.68-0.99). For men, no statistically significant relationship was identified. When results were stratified by BMI, the protective association was only found in overweight and obese women. LIMITATIONS: Our analysis relied on aggregate data. We included some articles that determined exposure and cases via self-report, and the studies did not account for temporal variations in alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS: The observed reduced risk seems to be specific to women in general and women with a BMI ≥25 kg/m2. Our findings allow for a more precise prediction of the sex-specific relationship between T2DM and alcohol use, as our results differ from those of previous studies.

A systematic review on the impact of alcohol use on sexually transmitted infections.

Alcohol use has been associated with multiple types of sexual risk behaviors, such as condomless sex or having multiple sexual partners, behaviors that are linked to the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The aim of this review was to present updated evidence to demonstrate an association between alcohol consumption and STIs and evaluate the causal nature of this link, as well as to present interventions that reduce alcohol consumption and its effect on STIs. We conducted a systematic review according to the PRISMA guidelines using PubMed and Embase databases. Cohort studies and case-control studies were included. Any level of alcohol use served as the exposure variable, with the outcome restricted to non-HIV STIs, as reviews on alcohol use and HIV already exist. In total, 11 publications satisfied the inclusion criteria. The evidence suggests that there is an association between alcohol use, especially heavy drinking occasions, and STIs, with eight articles finding a statistically significant association. In addition to these results, there is indirect causal evidence from policy studies, and from the field of decision-making and sexual behavior with experimental evidence, that alcohol use increases the likelihood of risk-taking sexual behavior. It is important to have a deeper understanding of the association to develop effective prevention programs at community and individual levels. Preventive interventions should be implemented targeting the general population, in addition to specific campaigns directed at vulnerable subpopulations in order to reduce the risks.

Reducing alcohol use through alcohol control policies in the general population and population subgroups: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

We estimate the effects of alcohol taxation, minimum unit pricing (MUP), and restricted temporal availability on overall alcohol consumption and review their differential impact across sociodemographic groups. Web of Science, Medline, PsycInfo, Embase, and EconLit were searched on 08/12/2022 and 09/26/2022 for studies on newly introduced or changed alcohol policies published between 2000 and 2022 (Prospero registration: CRD42022339791). We combined data using random-effects meta-analyses. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Of 1887 reports, 36 were eligible. Doubling alcohol taxes or introducing MUP (Int$ 0.90/10 g of pure alcohol) reduced consumption by 10% (for taxation: 95% prediction intervals [PI]: -18.5%, -1.2%; for MUP: 95% PI: -28.2%, 5.8%), restricting alcohol sales by one day a week reduced consumption by 3.6% (95% PI: -7.2%, -0.1%). Substantial between-study heterogeneity contributes to high levels of uncertainty and must be considered in interpretation. Pricing policies resulted in greater consumption changes among low-income alcohol users, while results were inconclusive for other socioeconomic indicators, gender, and racial and ethnic groups. Research is needed on the differential impact of alcohol policies, particularly for groups bearing a disproportionate alcohol-attributable health burden. Funding: Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01AA028009.

Liver holidays? A meta-analysis of drinking the same amount of alcohol daily or non-daily and the risk for cirrhosis.

INTRODUCTION: Several alcohol drinking guidelines indicate that daily alcohol consumption should be avoided because of its negative impact on the liver and to avoid the development of alcohol use disorders. Evidence that supports this recommendation is scarce. Our aim was to compare daily versus non-daily drinking and its association with liver cirrhosis. METHODS: We conducted a review using PubMed/Medline and Embase as databases, selecting longitudinal or case control studies. A random effects meta-analysis was conducted. RESULTS: Five mainly large-scale studies were retrieved. Daily drinking was associated with a significant increase in risk of liver cirrhosis compared to non-daily drinking, with a pooled relative risks of 1.71 (95% confidence interval 1.23-2.23) for men and 1.56 (95% confidence interval 1.39-1.74) for women. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The consistent exposure to acetaldehyde and other toxins for daily drinkers may explain our findings. There should be days of abstinence to allow the liver to recover, especially for heavier drinkers.

A population-based study of mortality due to muscular dystrophies across a 36-year period in Spain.

Muscular dystrophies (MD) are a group of rare hereditary degenerative diseases. Our aim was to analyze the mortality pattern in Spain from 1981 to 2016 to assess the temporal trend and discern possible geographic differences using population-based data. Annual deaths related to MD were obtained from the National Statistics Institute with codes 359.1 of the ICD-9 (1981-1998) and G71.0 of the ICD-10 (1999-2016). Age-adjusted mortality rates were calculated and changes in mortality trends were identified. The standardized mortality ratios (SMR) and their respective 95% confidence intervals were calculated by district for 1999-2016. Smoothed SMRs and posterior probability were also assessed and then mapped to look for patterns or geographic distribution. All rates were expressed per 1,000,000 inhabitants. A total of 2,512 deaths (73.8% men) were identified. The age-adjusted mortality rates varied from 0.63 (95% CI 0.40-0.95) in 1981 to 1.51 (95% CI 1.17-1.93) in 2016. MD mortality showed a significant increase of 8.81% per year (95% CI 5.0-12.7) from 1981 to 1990, remaining stable afterwards. Areas with risk of death higher than expected for Spain as a whole were identified, not showing a specific regional pattern. In conclusion, the rising trend in MD mortality might be attributable to advanced improvements in diagnostic techniques leading to a rise in prevalence. Further research on the districts with the highest mortality would be necessary.

Effectiveness of a group educational intervention - prolact - in primary care to promote exclusive breastfeeding: a cluster randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: The rates of exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months in Spain are far from recommended by the World Health Organization, which is 50% by 2025. Evidence of the effectiveness of group interventions in late postpartum is limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the PROLACT group educational intervention for increasing the proportion of mother-child dyads with exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months compared to the usual practice in primary care. METHOD: Multicentre cluster randomized clinical trial. A total of 434 mother-child dyads who breastfed exclusively in the first 4 weeks of the children's life and agreed to participate were included. The main outcome was exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months. Secondary variables were type of breastfeeding, reasons for abandonment, degree of adherence and satisfaction with the intervention. To study the effectiveness, the difference in the proportions of dyads with exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months was calculated, and the relative risk (RR) and number needed to treat (NNT) were calculated with their 95% CIs. To study the factors associated with the maintenance of exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months, a multilevel logistic regression model was fitted. All analyses were performed to intention to treat. RESULTS: The percentage of dyads with exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months was 22.4% in the intervention group and 8.8% in the control group. PROLACT intervention obtained an RR =2.53 (95% CI: 1.54-4.15) and an NNT = 7 (95%CI: 5-14). The factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months were the PROLACT intervention, OR = 3.51 (95%CI: 1.55-7.93); age > 39 years, OR = 2.79 (95%CI: 1.02-7.6); previous breastfeeding experience, OR = 2.61 (95%CI: 1.29-5.29); income between 500 and 833.33 €, OR = 3.52 (95%CI 1.47-8.47).); planning to start work before the infant was 6 months old, OR = 0.35 (0.19-0.63) . CONCLUSIONS: The PROLACT intervention in primary care is more effective than the usual practice for maintaining exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months, and can therefore be considered evidence-based practice for implementation in standard practice. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov under code number NCT01869920 (03/06/2013).

Sex-specific association between alcohol consumption and liver cirrhosis: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Different studies have shown that females develop liver diseases at lower levels of alcohol consumption than males. Our aim was to quantify the dose-response relationship between alcohol consumption and the risk of liver cirrhosis by sex and identify the differences between females and males. A systematic review was conducted using PubMed/Medline and Embase to identify longitudinal and case-control studies that analyzed the relationship between the level of alcohol use and liver cirrhosis (LC) incidence, and mortality (ICD-8 and ICD-9 codes 571 and ICD-10 codes K70, K73, K74). Pooled relative risks (RR) were calculated by random effects models. Restricted cubic splines were used to model the dose-response relationship. A total of 24 studies were included in the analysis. There were collectively 2,112,476 females and 924,853 males, and a total of 4,301 and 4,231 cases of LC for females and males, respectively. We identified a non-linear dose-response relationship. Females showed a higher risk for LC compared to males with the same amount of alcohol consumed daily. For instance, drinking 40 g/day showed RRs of 9.35 (95% CI 7.64-11.45) in females and 2.82 (95% CI 2.53-3.14) in males, while drinking 80 g/day presented RRs of 23.32 (95% CI 18.24-29.82) in females and 7.93 (95% CI 7.12-8.83) in males. Additional analyses showed that a higher risk for females was found for morbidity and for mortality. Understanding the influence of sex on the association of alcohol consumption and the risk of LC is needed to develop recommendations and clinical guidelines for prevention and treatment. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022299680, identifier CRD42022299680.

Changes in alcohol consumption in Spain between 1990 and 2019. / Cambios en el consumo de alcohol en España de 1990 a 2019.

Spain is one of the countries of the European Union in which alcohol consumption has decreased in the past decades. The aim of this paper is to distinguish different phases of the level of alcohol consumption in Spain since 1990. Adult alcohol consumption per capita data between 1990 and 2019 were analysed for temporal trends using the Joinpoint regression model. An additional analysis using interrupted time-series between 1962 and 2016 was performed using data from Global Information System on Alcohol and Health. Data from the survey on alcohol and other drugs in Spain were collected and a narrative review was conducted to identify possible reasons for the trends found. Five point changes were identified on the timeline between 1990 and 2019, including: a decrease of 3.2% per year from 1990 to 1995, an increase of 1.1% per year from 1995 to 2000, a period of stability from 2000 to 2006, a decrease of 4.5% per year from 2006 to 2011, and a period of stability from 2011 onwards. These changes can largely be explained by the different public health measures carried out by the Spanish government, as well as the change in the pattern of consumption in society, which shifted its alcoholic beverage preference from wine to beer, and increased its binge-drinking behaviour. Further studies such as interrupted time-series analyses should test if indeed the hypothesized measures on public health have been effective; this could inform future policies in Spain and in other countries.

España es uno de los países de la Unión Europea donde el consumo de alcohol disminuyó en las últimas décadas. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo identificar las diferentes fases de consumo de alcohol desde 1990. Los datos de consumo de alcohol per cápita en adultos entre 1990 y 2019 se analizaron para determinar las tendencias temporales utilizando el modelo de regresión Joinpoint. Se realizó un análisis adicional utilizando series temporales interrumpidas entre 1962 y 2016 con datos del Sistema de Información Global sobre Alcohol y Salud. Además, se recopilaron datos de la encuesta sobre el alcohol y otras drogas en España y se realizó una revisión narrativa para identificar las posibles razones que expliquen los cambios de tendencia encontrados. Cinco puntos de cambio fueron identificados: disminución del 3,2% por año de 1990 a 1995, aumento del 1,1% por año de 1995 a 2000, período de estabilidad de 2000 a 2006, disminución del 4,5% por año de 2006 a 2011 y período de estabilidad a partir del 2011. Este cambio en la tendencia puede explicarse por las diferentes medidas en políticas de salud pública implementadas por el gobierno español, así como por el cambio en el patrón de consumo que presentó la sociedad, cambiando las preferencias de las bebidas alcohólicas del vino a la cerveza y aumentando el binge drinking. Futuros estudios deberían analizar si las medidas de salud pública han sido efectivas; esto permitiría trabajar con ellas en España y en otros países.

Trends in urinary tract infection hospitalization in older adults in Spain from 2000-2015.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze trends in urinary tract infection hospitalization (cystitis, pyelonephritis, prostatitis and non-specified UTI) among patients over 65 years in Spain from 2000-2015. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational study using the Spanish Hospitalization Minimum Data Set (CMBD), with codifications by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9). We collected data on sex, age, type of discharge, main diagnosis, comorbid diagnosis, length of stay, and global cost. All the hospitalizations were grouped by age into three categories: 65-74 years old, 75-84 years old, and 85 years old and above. In the descriptive statistical analysis, crude rates were defined as hospitalizations per 1,000 inhabitants aged ≥65. To identify trends over time, we performed a Joinpoint regression. RESULTS: From 2000-2015, we found 387,010 hospitalizations coded as UTIs (54,427 pyelonephritis, 15,869 prostatitis, 2643 cystitis and 314,071 non-specified UTI). The crude rate of hospitalization for UTIs between 2000 and 2015 ranged from 2.09 in 2000 to 4.33 in 2015 Rates of hospitalization were higher in men than in women, except with pyelonephritis. By age group, higher rates were observed in patients aged 85 years or older, barring prostatitis-related hospitalizations. Joinpoint analyses showed an average annual percentage increase (AAPC) in incidence rates of 4.9% (95% CI 3.2;6.1) in UTI hospitalizations. We observed two joinpoints, in 2010 and 2013, that found trends of 5.5% between 2000 and 2010 (95% CI 4.7;6.4), 1.5% between 2010 and 2013 (95% CI -6.0;9.6) and 6.8% between 2013 and 2015 (95% CI -0.3;14.4). CONCLUSIONS: The urinary infection-related hospitalization rate in Spain doubled during the period 2000-2015. The highest hospitalization rates occurred in men, in the ≥85 years old age group, and in non-specified UTIs. There were increases in all types of urinary tract infection, with non-specified UTIs having the greatest growth. Understanding these changing trends can be useful for health planning.

Dose-Response Relationships between Levels of Alcohol Use and Risks of Mortality or Disease, for All People, by Age, Sex, and Specific Risk Factors.

Alcohol use has been causally linked to more than 200 disease and injury conditions, as defined by three-digit ICD-10 codes. The understanding of how alcohol use is related to these conditions is essential to public health and policy research. Accordingly, this study presents a narrative review of different dose-response relationships for alcohol use. Relative-risk (RR) functions were obtained from various comparative risk assessments. Two main dimensions of alcohol consumption are used to assess disease and injury risk: (1) volume of consumption, and (2) patterns of drinking, operationalized via frequency of heavy drinking occasions. Lifetime abstention was used as the reference group. Most dose-response relationships between alcohol and outcomes are monotonic, but for diabetes type 2 and ischemic diseases, there are indications of a curvilinear relationship, where light to moderate drinking is associated with lower risk compared with not drinking (i.e., RR < 1). In general, women experience a greater increase in RR per gram of alcohol consumed than men. The RR per gram of alcohol consumed was lower for people of older ages. RRs indicated that alcohol use may interact synergistically with other risk factors, in particular with socioeconomic status and other behavioural risk factors, such as smoking, obesity, or physical inactivity. The literature on the impact of genetic constitution on dose-response curves is underdeveloped, but certain genetic variants are linked to an increased RR per gram of alcohol consumed for some diseases. When developing alcohol policy measures, including low-risk drinking guidelines, dose-response relationships must be taken into consideration.

Impact of alcohol on the progression of HCV-related liver disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Despite a marked reduction in new cases of cirrhosis caused by HCV infection, over 500,000 new cirrhosis cases in this category were estimated globally in 2019. This contribution quantifies the relationship between alcohol use and the progression of liver disease in people with HCV infections. METHODS: The causal impact of different levels of alcohol use on cirrhosis has previously been established. The quantification of this relationship was undertaken based on a systematic search of the literature and a meta-analysis. We limited our search to longitudinal and case-control studies with biologically verified outcomes. Different sensitivity analyses were conducted to check on key assumptions and on the generalizability of the relationship. RESULTS: Alcohol use has a dose-dependent relationship with incident cirrhosis, which is linear on the log-linear level, and thus exponential on the level of odds ratios or other risk indicators. Each standard drink of 12 grams of pure alcohol per day increases the risk by about 11%. The results were stable regardless of the statistical model used, level of adjustment, quality of the study, or outcome (i.e., cirrhosis, decompensated cirrhosis, liver-related death). CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol use has a marked impact on the progression of HCV infections to cirrhosis and more severe liver outcomes. LAY SUMMARY: Alcohol consumption has a significant impact on the progression of liver disease in people with HCV infections. Each alcoholic drink per day is associated with an increase in the risk of cirrhosis of 11%.

Alcohol use disorders and the risk of progression of liver disease in people with hepatitis C virus infection - a systematic review.

Liver cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases are usually compartmentalized into separate categories based on etiology (e.g., due to alcohol, virus infection, etc.), but it is important to study the intersection of, and possible interactions between, risk factors. The aim of this study is to summarize evidence on the association between alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and decompensated liver cirrhosis and other complications in patients with chronic Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. A systematic search of epidemiological studies was conducted using Ovid Medline databases in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses criteria. Relative Risk estimates were combined using random-effects meta-analyses. The proportion of cases with liver disease progression that could be avoided if no person with a chronic HCV infection had an AUD was estimated using an attributable fraction methodology. A total of 11 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria, providing data from 286,641 people with chronic HCV infections, of whom 63,931 (22.3%) qualified as having an AUD. Using decompensated liver cirrhosis as the outcome for the main meta-analysis (n = 7 unique studies), an AUD diagnosis was associated with a 3.3-fold risk for progression of liver disease among people with a chronic HCV infection (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.8-4.8). In terms of population-attributable fractions, slightly less than 4 out of 10 decompensated liver cirrhosis cases were attributable to an AUD: 35.2% (95% CI: 16.2-47.1%). For a secondary analyses, all outcomes related to liver disease progression were pooled (i.e., liver deaths or cirrhosis in addition to decompensated liver cirrhosis), which yielded a similar overall effect (n = 13 estimates; OR = 3.7; 95% CI: 2.2-5.3) and a similar attributable fraction (39.3%; 95% CI: 21.9-50.4%). In conclusion, AUDs were frequent in people with chronic HCV infections and contributed to worsening the course of liver disease. Alcohol use and AUDs should be assessed in patients who have liver disease of any etiology, and interventions should be implemented to achieve abstinence or to reduce consumption to the greatest possible extent.

Tetralogy of Fallot in Spain: a nationwide registry-based mortality study across 36 years.

BACKGROUND: Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is the most frequent cyanotic congenital heart defect. TOF mortality has fallen remarkably in recent years due to therapeutic advances. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to assess temporal and spatial variability in TOF-related mortality in Spain across the period 1981-2016, using data drawn from the nationwide population-based registry. METHODS: Annual deaths due to TOF were sourced from the Spanish National Institute of Statistics database by reference to International Classification of Diseases (ICD), 9th and 10th Revision codes, namely, ICD-9 code 745.2 (period 1981-1998) and ICD-10 code Q21.3 (period 1999-2016). Age-specific and age-adjusted mortality rates were calculated, as were standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) by province, district and municipality for the period 1999-2016. RESULTS: A total of 1035 deaths were attributed to TOF (57.78% of them were men and 42.22% were women). The age-adjusted mortality rate ranged from 0.75 per 1,000,000 inhabitants (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0-1.36) in 1981 to 0.03 per 1,000,000 (95% CI: 0.01-0.06) in 2016 for both sexes. In 2011, there was a change in the mortality trend, with a significant decrease of 49.22% per year (p < 0.001). In terms of geographical analysis, some areas with a significantly higher risk of TOF mortality were identified in the south of Spain, though no specific spatial pattern was in evidence. CONCLUSION: The decrease in TOF mortality may be related to improvements in diagnostic and treatment techniques. More studies are needed to analyse regions with a higher mortality risk, in order to improve medical planning and resource allocation, and identify risk factors and preventive measures.