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Light alcohol drinkers have lowest risk for cancer, death

Lifetime light alcohol consumption of one to three drinks per week was associated with the lowest combined risk for cancer and mortality, compared with never drinking and higher intakes of alcohol, according to research published in PLoS Medicine.

“While current research is largely consistent as to the harms of heavy drinking in terms of both cancer incidence and mortality, there are disparate messages regarding the safety of light-moderate alcohol consumption, which may confuse public health messages,” Andrew T. Kunzmann, research fellow at the center for public health at Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, and colleagues wrote.

Kunzmann and colleagues conducted a population-based cohort study to investigate how average lifetime alcohol intake is associated with cancer incidence and mortality. The researchers analyzed data from 99,654 individuals aged between 55 and 74 years who participated in the U.S. Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial.

A diet history questionnaire was used to measure alcohol intake. Participants who consumed one to three drinks per week were classified as light alcohol drinkers, those who consumed less than one drink per week were classified as never or infrequent drinkers, those who consumed two to three drinks per day were classified as heavy drinkers and those who consumed three or more drinks per day were classified as very heavy drinkers.

Lifetime light alcohol consumption of one to three drinks per week was associated with the lowest combined risk for cancer and mortality, compared with never drinking and higher intakes of alcohol.

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During a median of 8.9 years of follow-up, there were 9,559 deaths and 12,763 incidences of primary cancers.

Overall mortality and combined risk for cancer or death was higher among lifetime never or infrequent, heavy and very heavy drinkers, compared with light alcohol drinkers. Higher lifetime alcohol intake was associated with an increased risk for cancer and cancer-related mortality.

The lowest combined risk for mortality or cancer incidence was seen among lifetime light alcohol drinkers. Lifetime never drinkers (HR = 1.07; 95% CI, 1.01-1.13), infrequent drinkers (HR = 1.08; 95% CI, 1.03-1.13), heavy drinkers (HR = 1.1; 95% CI, 1.02-1.18) and very heavy drinkers (HR = 1.21; 95% CI, 1.13-1.3) demonstrated higher combined risks of mortality or cancer incidence.

“This study provides further insight into the complex relationship between alcohol consumption, cancer incidence, and disease mortality and may help inform public health guidelines,” Kunzmann and colleagues concluded. – by Alaina Tedesco

Disclosure: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.