Stroke and Alcohol Intake in a Hospital Population A Case-Control Study

Background and Purpose The aim of the study was to assess whether excessive alcohol intake is an independent risk factor for stroke. Methods A case-control study was undertaken in 200 consecutive ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients and 372 age- and sex-matched control subjects (170 hospital-based and 202 community-based individuals). Data were collected through direct interview regarding demographics, risk factors for stroke, current daily alcohol consumption, and diagnosis of alcoholism. Blood was also taken to test the common biological markers of alcohol intake (erythrocyte mean cell volume, uric acid, aspartate aminotransferase, and γ-glutamyl transferase). Results After controlling for the most significant risk factors (antecedent strokes, hypertension, diabetes, smoking) and using hospital control subjects for reference, we determined the risk of stroke to be 2.2 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2 to 4.0) in moderate drinkers (men, ≤60 g/d; women, ≤40 g/d) and 2.9 (95% CI, 1.4 to 6.1) in heavy ...