Baseline characteristics of patients, by binge-drinking status*
| Characteristic | Low alcohol consumption, no. (%)†n = 18 775 | Moderate or high alcohol consumption, no. (%) of patients† | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No binge drinking n = 10 454 | Binge drinking n = 1 204 | ||
| Age, yr, mean ± SD | 66.6 ± 7.2 | 66.3 ± 7.1 | 64.2 ± 6.7 |
| Sex, female | 7 464 (39.8) | 1 515 (14.5) | 85 (7.1) |
| Region | |||
| Americas | 6 051 (32.2) | 2 947 (28.2) | 290 (24.1) |
| Europe | 8 400 (44.7) | 5 904 (56.5) | 676 (56.1) |
| Australia/Asia | 4 324 (23.0) | 1 603 (15.3) | 238 (19.8) |
| Waist:hip ratio, mean ± SD | 0.93 ± 0.09 | 0.95 ± 0.08 | 0.96 ± 0.07 |
| Medical history | |||
| Coronary artery disease | 14 001 (74.6) | 8 464 (81.0) | 957 (79.5) |
| Stroke/TIA | 4 128 (22.0) | 1 905 (18.2) | 228 (18.9) |
| Peripheral artery disease | 3 176 (16.9) | 1 991 (19.0) | 272 (22.6) |
| Hypertension | 13 938 (74.2) | 6 646 (63.6) | 731 (60.7) |
| Diabetes | 8 005 (42.6) | 2 989 (28.6) | 351 (29.2) |
| Chronic renal disease | 5 475 (29.2) | 2 442 (23.4) | 261 (21.7) |
| Sleep apnea | 1 313 (7.0) | 637 (6.1) | 83 (6.9) |
| Use of statin | 10 619 (56.6) | 7 053 (67.5) | 831 (69.0) |
| Smoking status | |||
| Never smoked | 8 624 (45.9) | 2 582 (24.7) | 212 (17.6) |
| Current/former smoker | 10 132 (54.0) | 7 861 (75.2) | 990 (82.2) |
| Education | |||
| None | 977 (5.2) | 127 (1.2) | 11 (0.9) |
| 1–8 yr | 6 302 (33.6) | 2 541 (24.3) | 277 (23.0) |
| 9–12 yr | 5 422 (28.9) | 3 165 (30.3) | 400 (33.2) |
| University/trade school | 6 072 (32.3) | 4 616 (44.2) | 516 (42.9) |
| Physical activity‡ | |||
| Sedentary | 7 101 (37.8) | 3 003 (28.7) | 382 (31.7) |
| Moderate | 3 903 (20.8) | 2 743 (26.2) | 325 (27.0) |
| High | 7 766 (41.4) | 4 703 (45.0) | 497 (41.3) |
| Stress§ | |||
| Yes | 12 156 (64.7) | 6 767 (64.7) | 762 (63.3) |
| No | 6 612 (35.2) | 3 681 (35.2) | 441 (36.6) |
Note: SD = standard deviation, TIA = transient ischemic attack.
↵* Binge drinking = > 5 drinks/d at any one time or a calculated average ingestion of > 5 drinks/d; non-binge drinking = ≥ 1 drink/wk but not meeting the criterion for binge drinking; low consumption = < 1 drink/wk, moderate = 1–14 drinks/wk (about 2 drinks/d) for women and 1–21 drinks/wk (about 3 drinks/d) for men; high = > 14 drinks/wk (> 2 drinks/d) for women and > 21 drinks/wk (> 3 drinks/d) for men.
↵† Unless stated otherwise.
↵‡ Sedentary = physical activity once per week or less often, moderate = 2–4 times per week, high = ≥ 5 times per week.
↵§ Having had some or several periods of stress or permanent stress at work/home, or moderate or high worry about money.