Physical Activity, Moderate Alcohol Intake Associated with Improved Survival

Physical Activity, Moderate Alcohol Intake Associated with Improved Survival

Physical activity and moderate alcohol consumption may help reduce fatal ischemic heart disease (IHD) and all-cause mortality, reports the European Heart Journal.

Nearly 12,000 Danish adults without previous IHD reported their alcohol intake and physical activity level and then were followed for about 20 years. Overall, about half died, with IHD accounting for 20% of the deaths.

After adjustment for confounders such as age and smoking status, active subjects had lower risks for fatal IHD and all-cause mortality than inactive subjects, and moderate drinkers (1 to 14 drinks a week) had lower mortality risks than nondrinkers. A combination of physical activity and moderate drinking appeared most beneficial — active subjects who consumed at least one drink weekly had up to a 50% lower risk for fatal IHD and up to a 33% lower all-cause mortality risk.

European Heart Journal article (Free PDF)

Abstract:

The combined influence of leisure-time physical activity and weekly alcohol intake on fatal ischaemic heart disease and all-cause mortality


Aims

To determine the combined influence of leisure-time physical activity and weekly alcohol intake on the risk of subsequent fatal ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and all-cause mortality.


Methods and results

Prospective cohort study of 11 914 Danes aged 20 years or older and without pre-existing IHD. During _20 years of follow-up, 1242 cases of fatal IHD occurred and 5901 died from all causes. Within both genders, being physically active was associated with lower hazard ratios (HR) of both fatal IHD and all-cause mortality than being physically inactive. Further, weekly alcohol intake was inversely associated with fatal IHD and had a U-shaped association with all-cause mortality. Within level of physical activity, non-drinkers had the highest HR of fatal IHD, whereas both non-drinkers and heavy drinkers had the highest HR of all-cause mortality. Further, the physically inactive had the highest HR of both fatal IHD and all-cause mortality within each category of weekly alcohol intake. Thus, the HR of both fatal IHD and all-cause mortality were low among the physically active who had a moderate alcohol intake.

Conclusion

Leisure-time physical activity and a moderate weekly alcohol intake are both important to lower the risk of fatal IHD and all-cause mortality.