A large study in China suggests heavy alcohol consumption may increase the risk of stroke in men and the researchers recommend heavy drinkers be targeted for prevention strategies.
Published in the latest issue of the Annals of Neurology, the study involved 64,338 men aged 40 and over who participated in a national hypertension survey in 1991, when none of them had ever suffered from stroke.
Researchers followed up on the men in 1999 and 2000, and found that 3,434 had had strokes and of these, 1,848 had died. Further analysis showed the risk of stroke incidence was 22 percent higher and risk of mortality 30 percent higher among men who drank the most -- or at least 35 drinks a week -- compared with non-drinkers.
"Alcohol consumption was significantly related to increased stroke incidence and mortality," said the researchers from the United States and China. Reuters
More info
- Alcohol consumption and risk for stroke among Chinese men Bazzano et al, Abstract
- Listen to the recent Alcohol Policy UK podcast on alcohol-related stroke.
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