Hostility, drinking pattern and mortality.

ABSTRACT

AIMS: This study examined the association of hostility to drinking pattern and whether this association mediated the relation of hostility to mortality. PARTICIPANTS AND DESIGN: Subjects were 3326 current drinkers from the Vietnam Experience Study cohort who were followed for vital status. SETTING: United States. MEASUREMENTS Hostility was measured by an abbreviated version of the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale (ACM). The alcohol variables were total monthly intake of alcohol, drinking frequency, drinks per drinking day and drinking > or = 5 drinks on at least one occasion in the past month (i.e. heavy episodic drinking). FINDINGS: Regression analyses showed associations between the ACM and total monthly intake of alcohol (P < 0.0001), drinks per drinking day (P < 0.0001) and heavy episodic drinking (P < 0.0001), but not with frequency of drinking days. Hostility, drinks per drinking day, heavy episodic drinking and total monthly alcohol intake were also associated with all-cause mortality (all Ps < 0.0001). Further analyses showed that drinking pattern, particularly drinks per drinking day, may account partially for the relation of hostility to mortality. CONCLUSIONS: High hostility is associated with elevated mortality and a deleterious drinking pattern characterized by relatively high intake per drinking occasion. Drinking pattern could help explain the relationships between hostility and health.