Drinking patterns and preferences among heart patients.

Abstract

The pattern of alcohol consumption and beverage preferences of heart patients were investigated in 3026 men and 760 women who have had coronary arteriography due to symptoms of coronary heart disease. The younger male heart patients (less than 40 years old) as a group had higher proportion of abstainers and heavy drinkers (more than six drinks daily) than the age-matched reference groups from the general population; the opposite was true for male patients over 60 years of age. The preference for hard liquor (more than 50% of total alcohol intake) tended to rise with age and extent of coronary artery occlusion. Wine as a preferred beverage was reported by approximately 10% of the male patients. The female patients had about twice as high prevalence of abstainers as the male patients.