Drinking up to half a glass of wine daily may increase longevity by 5 years in
men, but more studies are needed, according to the results of a study reported
online first in the April 30 issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community
Health.

"Light to moderate alcohol intake lowers the risk of cardiovascular mortality,
but whether this protective effect can be attributed to a specific type of
beverage remains unclear," write M.T. Streppel, from the National Institute for
Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands, and colleagues.
"Moreover, little is known about the effects of long-term alcohol intake on life
expectancy."

The goal of this analysis was to determine the effect of long-term alcohol
intake and types of alcoholic beverages consumed on cardiovascular mortality and
life expectancy at age 50 years. The study cohort consisted of 1373 men enrolled
in the Zutphen Study who were born between 1900 and 1920 and evaluated
repeatedly between 1960 and 2000.

Time-dependent Cox regression models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs)
for total alcohol intake and for intake of alcohol from wine, beer, and spirits.
Areas under survival curves were used to assess life expectancy at age 50 years.
Light alcohol intake was defined as consumption of not more than 20 g/day.

Compared with no alcohol consumption, long-term light alcohol intake was
strongly and inversely associated with risks for cerebrovascular mortality (HR,
0.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.26 ¡V 0.70), total cardiovascular
mortality (HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.55 ¡V 0.89), and all-cause mortality (HR, 0.75;
95% CI, 0.63 ¡V 0.91).

Long-term wine consumption averaging less than half a glass per day was strongly
and inversely associated with coronary heart disease (HR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.41 ¡V
0.89), total cardiovascular mortality (HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.53 ¡V 0.86), and
all-cause mortality (HR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.62 ¡V 0.87), independent of total
alcohol intake. Differences in socioeconomic status did not explain these
results. Compared with men who did not consume alcohol, men who drank, on
average, less than half a glass of wine per day had a life expectancy about 5
years longer.

"Long-term light alcohol intake lowered cardiovascular and all-cause mortality
risk and increased life expectancy," the study authors write. "Light wine
consumption was associated with 5 years longer life expectancy; however, more
studies are needed to verify this result."

Limitations of this study include lack of data on drinking frequency, average
long-term alcohol intake was relatively low, most participants used more than 1
type of alcoholic beverage in their usual diet, and for those men who were newly
included in the study in 1985, information on alcohol intake was missing for the
period 1960 to 1970.

"The inverse associations between wine consumption and mortality remained after
adjustment for total alcohol intake," the study authors conclude. "Wine
consumers had a 5 years longer life expectancy compared with no alcohol
consumers; however, more studies are needed to draw conclusions on the strength
of the association between wine consumption and mortality."

The former Inspectorate for Health Protection and Veterinary Public Health, at
present integrated in the Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, the
Netherlands, supported this study. The authors have disclosed no relevant
financial relationships.

J Epidemiol Community Health. Published online April 30, 2009.