Binge drinking frequency bears no increased risk of IHD, stroke events

Individuals who frequently binge on alcohol do not appear to be at increased risk of developing ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke as compared with people who drink the same quantity of alcohol over time, a study has found.

The analysis used the Norwegian health survey data and included 44,476 participants with data on binge drinking and drinking quantity. Average drinking quantity was higher among men, smokers, and individuals with elevated high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. Meanwhile, individuals who reported frequent binge drinking were younger, more likely to be men, had attained higher education, were less likely to be married, more likely to smoke, were slightly more physically active, and drank more alcohol on average than those reporting never/infrequent binge drinking.

Multivariable Cox analysis showed that among current drinkers reporting average alcohol intakes of 2–60 g/day (n=44,476), frequent binge drinking (5+ units ≥ once per month) did not contribute to a greater risk of IHD (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.91, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.76–1.09) or stroke (aHR, 0.98, 95 percent CI, 0.81–1.19) relative to those who never or only infrequently (less than once per month) had episodes of binge drinking.

Individuals with an average alcohol intake of 2–60 g/day had a lower risk of IHD compared with those who had very low intakes (<2 g/day) both among frequent binge drinkers (aHR, 0.67, 95 percent CI, 0.56–0.80) and among never/infrequent binge drinkers (aHR, 0.75, 95 percent CI, 0.67–0.84).

Consumption of low to moderate amounts of alcohol over time was associated with a lower risk of IHD relative to very little intake, even among those who reported frequent binge drinking. On the other hand, high intakes were overall associated with an increased risk of stroke.