Consumption Of Distilled Spirits Research Articles

The Impact of Alcohol Consumption Pattern on Liver Fibrosis in Asymptomatic Patients

Introduction: Alcohol consumption (AC) represents a widespread cause of liver diseases affecting 10–20% of the population. The study aimed to evaluate the relationship between advanced liver fibrosis (ALF) measured by transient elastography (TE), laboratory parameters, and the amount of AC depending on non-modifiable risk factors such as age and gender. Methods: We examined 689 patients with an average age of 49.32 ± 14.31 years, 72.9% males, without liver pathology, who admitted a moderate/high consumption (female ≤ 7 versus > 7 drinks/week; male ≤ 14 versus > 14 drinks/week) for at least five years. The fibrosis level was adjusted according to transaminase levels. Predictive factors were established using univariate regression analysis. Results: ALF (≥F3) was detected in 19.30% of subjects, predominantly males (14.1%) and patients over 55 years (12.5%). Excessive consumption of distilled spirits is associated with ALF in females (OR = 4.5), males (OR = 6.43) and patients over 55 years (OR = 3.73). A particularity highlighted in both genders, regardless of the age group, was the negative correlation between the decrease in the number of platelets, the albumin concentration, and the appearance of AFL. Conclusions: Screening using TE represents an approach for early detection of ALF in asymptomatic populations and the development of a risk stratification scheme.

Tendencias en el consumo de alcohol en adolescentes escolarizados en España (2010-2018)

ObjectiveTo analyze trends in beer, wine, and distilled spirits consumption, as well as drunkenness among school-aged adolescents in Spain from 2010 to 2018 by sex and age. MethodThe sample is composed of 35,310 adolescents aged 15 to 18. The data is representative of the adolescent school population in Spain in 2010, 2014, and 2018. The alcohol consumption questionnaire and the drunkenness questionnaire provided by the international team of the study were employed. Prevalence Ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using Poisson regression models with robust variance. Resultsthe data show a general decrease in alcohol consumption (beer, wine, as well as distilled spirits) and in drunkenness, but the decrease mainly occurs between 2010 and 2014. Sex differences (higher consumption and drunkenness among boys) are found among adolescents aged 17-18 but not in the age group of 15-16 years old. Older adolescents show higher levels of consumption and drunkenness than younger adolescents. ConclusionThe results confirm the relevance of carrying out specific analyses in order to identify risk groups which are not detected through general analyses. This data highlights the need to maintain alcohol prevention and control policies due to the risk of stabilization in alcohol-related behaviours.

Distilled Spirits Overconsumption as the Most Important Factor of Excessive Adult Male Mortality in Europe.

To explain comprehensively variations in adult male mortality rate in Europe, and in particular, high mortality in some East European countries with particular focus on specific patterns of alcohol consumption. Per capita distilled spirits consumption is found to be the strongest determinant of the adult male mortality rate in Europe as soon as the unrecorded alcohol consumption is taken into account. It turns out to be much stronger than the other tested significant determinants such as per capita health expenditures, smoking prevalence, consumption of hard drugs and per capita consumption of vegetables and fruit. Ordinary least squares (OLS) multiple regression with adult male mortality rate as a dependent variable, and various indicators of alcohol and drug consumption as well as logarithm of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, logarithm of total per capita health expenditures, latitude (climatic factors), per capita fruit and vegetable consumption, smoking prevalence as independent factors. Per capita distilled spirits consumption turns out to be the strongest determinant of the adult male mortality rate in Europe as soon as the unrecorded alcohol consumption is taken into account. It turns out to be much stronger than the other tested significant determinants of the adult male mortality rate such as per capita health expenditures, smoking prevalence, consumption of hard drugs and per capita consumption of vegetables and fruit. Still, higher per capita wine consumption has turned out to be a marginally significant determinant of the higher adult male mortality rate in some tests. Latitude, beer and soft drug consumption have turned out insignificant in this study. Spirits consumption is a major risk factor of adult male mortality, with significantly greater impact compared to beer and wine. Therefore, reduction in distilled spirits consumption in hard liquor drinking areas should be a major target in health policy.

Alcohol consumption and awareness of its effects on health among secondary school students in Nigeria.

Alcohol consumption among secondary school students is a major public health issue worldwide; however, the extent of consumption among secondary school students and their understanding of its effects on human health remain relatively unknown in many Nigerian States. This study aimed to determine the extent of alcohol consumption and of the awareness of its negative effects on human health among secondary school students.The study used a cross-sectional survey design. Self-report questionnaire developed by the researchers was administered to representative sample (N = 1302) of secondary school students in the study area. The data collected from the respondents were analyzed using means and t test.The results showed that male secondary school students moderately consumed beer (55.2%) and local cocktails (51.5%), whereas their female counterparts reported rare consumption of these 2 alcoholic drinks (44.8%; 48.5% respectively). The findings also indicated rare consumption of distilled spirits among both male and female students in the investigated area, whereas wine, liquor, local spirits, and palm wine were consumed moderately, regardless of gender. Finally, male and female secondary school students differed significantly in their awareness of the negative effects of alcohol consumption on health.There is a need to intensify efforts to further curtail the extent of alcohol consumption and increase awareness of the negative effects of alcohol use on human health among secondary school students.

Alcoholic psychoses and suicide trends in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine

IntroductionThe dramatic fluctuations in suicide mortality in the countries of the former Soviet Union (fSU) over the past decades have been widely discussed in the scientific literature and are still relatively unexplored. Accumulated evidence suggests that the mixture of cultural acceptance of heavy drinking, high rate of distilled spirits consumption, and binge drinking pattern is major contributor to the suicide mortality burden in fSU countries.AimsThe present study aims to analyze whether binge drinking is able to explain the dramatic fluctuations in suicide mortality in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine from the late Soviet to post-Soviet period.MethodTrends in alcoholic psychoses incidence and suicide rates from 1980 to 2015 in Russia Belarus and Ukraine were analyzed employing a Spearman's rank-order correlation analysis.ResultsThe estimates based on the Soviet data suggest a strong positive association between alcoholic psychoses and suicide rates in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. This positive relationship was less evident in the post-Soviet period.ConclusionCollectively, these findings indicate that alcohol has played an important role in the fluctuation of suicide mortality rates in the former Soviet republics during the last decades. Further monitoring of suicide mortality trends in the former Soviet countries and detailed comparisons with earlier developments in other countries remain a priority for future research.Disclosure of interestThe author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.

Maternal periconceptional alcohol consumption and congenital heart defects.

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the leading cause of infant death from birth defects. Animal studies suggest in utero alcohol exposure is a teratogen for cardiogenesis; however, results from epidemiologic studies are mixed. Data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study were used to estimate associations between CHDs and case (n = 7076) and control (n = 7972) mother reports of periconceptional (1 month before pregnancy through the first trimester) alcohol consumption with expected delivery dates during 1997 to 2007. CHDs were examined by category (conotruncal, septal, left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, and right ventricular outflow tract obstruction, heterotaxy with CHD) and subtype (e.g., tetralogy of Fallot [TOF]). Alcohol measures examined were any consumption, maximum average drinks per month, binge drinking, and alcohol type. Adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using unconditional logistic regression analysis. Increased risks, albeit marginally statistically significant, were observed for TOF and each maternal alcohol measure examined and for right ventricular outflow tract obstruction and heterotaxy with CHD and consumption of distilled spirits. Significantly reduced risks were observed for several CHD categories (septal defects, left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, and right ventricular outflow tract obstruction) and some corresponding subtypes with different alcohol measures. Significant risks were not observed for the other CHDs examined. Analysis of this large, well-defined study sample did not show statistically significant increased risks between measures of maternal alcohol consumption and most CHDs examined. These findings may reflect, in part, limitations with retrospective exposure assessment or unmeasured confounders. Additional studies with continued improvement in measurement of alcohol consumption are recommended.

Impact of a new alcohol policy on homemade alcohol consumption and sales in Russia.

To describe the effects of Russian policy since 2006 affecting price and availability on the consumption of recorded and unrecorded alcohol, with specific reference to homemade alcohol, and to investigate other factors affecting homemade alcohol consumption and purchasing. Consumption and preferred beverage data were collected from RLMS-HSE nationwide panel surveys from 1994 to 2013, with a detailed analysis of 2012 data (18,221 respondents aged 16+ years). Official statistics on manufactured alcohol sales, regional price increase and real disposable income were used. Homemade distilled spirits (samogon) consumption decreased together with that of recorded and unrecorded manufactured spirits since 2000. The consumption of spirits was partially replaced by the consumption of beer and wine. These trends in alcohol consumption were interrupted in 2008-2013. The interruption was more likely affected by the economic crisis and recession than by the new alcohol policy. Social networks and availability of unrecorded alcohol were more important predictors of homemade alcohol consumption and purchasing than was a recorded alcohol price increase. Homemade alcohol consumption does not replace the declining market for recorded spirits in Russia. The effects of economic and social factors on homemade alcohol consumption are greater than are the short-term effects of the new alcohol policy. The very recent (2015) reduction of the minimum unit price of vodka may be premature.

The importance of alcoholic beverage type for suicide in Japan: A time‐series analysis, 1963–2007

Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. Cohort analysis has suggested that alcohol consumption is a risk factor for suicide in Japan. However, this relationship has not been observed at the population level when a measure of per capita total alcohol consumption has been analysed. The present study employed a time-series analysis to examine whether these contradictory findings may be due to the existence of beverage-specific effects on suicide. An autoregressive integrated moving average model was used to assess the relationship between the consumption of different types of alcohol and suicide rates from 1963 to 2007. The data comprised age-adjusted suicide rates for the ages 15-69, and information on beverage-specific alcohol consumption per capita (15+). The unemployment rate was included as a control variable. During 1963-2007, male suicide rates increased substantially whereas female rates decreased slightly. Consumption of distilled spirits was significantly related to male suicide rates (but not in women) with a 1L increase in consumption associated with a 21.4% (95% confidence interval: 3.2-42.9) increase in male suicide rates. There was no statistically significant relationship between suicide and any other form of alcohol consumption (beer, wine, other alcohol). This is the first study that has shown an association between spirits consumption and male suicide in Japan. Potentially beneficial policy changes include increasing spirits prices through taxation, reducing the physical availability of alcohol and discouraging the practice of heavy drinking.

The effects of beverage type on homicide rates in Russia, 1970–2005

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS. Previous research from Western Europe and North America has suggested that consuming different types of alcoholic beverage may have differing effects on homicide rates both within and between countries. The aim of this study was to examine the relation between the consumption of different beverage types and homicide rates in Russia across the later-Soviet and post-Soviet periods. Age-standardised male and female homicide data for the period 1970-2005 and data on beverage-specific alcohol sales were obtained from the Russian State Statistical Committee (Rosstat). Time series analysis (autoregressive integrated moving average modelling) was used to examine the relation between the sale (consumption) of different alcoholic beverages and homicide rates. Total alcohol consumption and vodka consumption as measured by sales were significantly associated with both male and female homicide rates: a 1L increase in overall alcohol sales would result in a 5.9% increase in the male homicide rate and a 5.1% increase in the female homicide rate. The respective figures for vodka were 16.4% and 14.3%. The consumption of beer and wine was not associated with changes in homicide rates. Our findings suggest that the consumption of distilled spirits has had an especially detrimental impact on lethal violence in Russia from at least 1970 onwards. In order to reduce homicide rates in this context, alcohol policy should focus on reducing overall consumption as well as attempting to shift the beverage preference away from distilled spirits.

Epidemiology of alcohol use in rural men in two provinces of China.

Alcohol use in China has substantially increased during the last three decades. The objectives of this study were to examine the sociodemographic patterning of alcohol consumption and to explore the relationship between (a) heavy drinking and frequent acute intoxication and (b) type of alcohol consumed. A cross-sectional survey of 18- to 60-year-old men in Hunan and Henan Provinces in 2007 used multistage, randomized clustered sampling to identify 11,884 subjects; 9,866 (83.0%) of them were interviewed. The weighted prevalence of 3-month drinking was 61.4% in Hunan and 68.2% in Henan. Among current drinkers, the median daily consumption of pure alcohol in Hunan and Henan were 16.5 ml and 17.9 ml, respectively; 16.6% in Hunan and 22.3% in Henan met criteria for heavy drinking (average daily pure alcohol consumption ≥ 50 ml); and 3.0% in Hunan and 7.3% in Henan reported frequent intoxication. Adult men with lower education in Hunan and those with higher family incomes in Henan were more likely to engage in heavy drinking; those who were unmarried in Hunan and those with higher incomes in Henan were more likely to be intoxicated frequently. In both provinces, those who consumed distilled spirits were at higher risk for heavy drinking and frequent intoxication. The majority of rural adult men in both provinces drink alcohol and a substantial minority-particularly those who consume distilled spirits-are heavy drinkers and report more frequent acute intoxication. The consumption of distilled spirits may be a useful target of intervention to reduce the prevalence of heavy drinking and the experience of intoxication.

P03-305 - Beverage specific effect of alcohol on suicide and homicide rates in Russia

BackgroundHigh suicide and homicide rates in Russia and its profound fluctuation over the past decades have attracted considerable interest. There is growing evidence that binge drinking pattern increasing the propensity for the alcohol-related suicide and lethal violence. In line with this evidence we assume that higher level of vodka consumption in conjunction with binge drinking pattern results in close aggregate-level association between vodka sale and suicide/homicide in Russia.Aims and methodTo test this hypothesis trends in beverage-specific alcohol sale per capita and suicide/homicide rates from 1970 to 2005 in Russia were analyzed employing ARIMA time series analysis.ResultsThe rate of suicide and homicide tend to be more responsive to changes in distilled spirits consumption per capita than to the total level of alcohol consumption. The results of time series analysis suggest that a 1 litre increase in vodka sale is expected to increase suicide rate by 9.3% for men and by 6% for women and homicide rate by 15.2% for men and by 13.4% for women.ConclusionsAssuming that drinking spirits is usually associated with intoxication episodes, these findings provide additional evidence that drinking pattern is important determinant in the alcohol-suicide and alcohol-homicide relationship. The outcomes of this study also provide support for the hypothesis that suicide and alcohol are closely connected in culture were intoxication-oriented drinking pattern prevails and adds to the growing body of evidence that alcohol plaid a crucial role in the fluctuation in suicide mortality rate in Russia during the last decades.

Reliability of Alcohol Recall After 15 Years and 23 Years of Follow-Up in the Johns Hopkins Precursors Study

Recall of past alcohol intake is used in many studies of chronic disease, but few studies have been able to examine its long-term reliability. We sought to assess the reliability of recalled alcohol intake assessed at an average age of 70 years in 2001, after 15 and 23 years of follow-up, in a prospective study of medical students in classes 1948 to 1964. Average reported alcohol intake 15 years and 23 years prior were 6.3 and 7.4 drinks per week, respectively. Recall of alcohol intake overestimated the concurrently reported intake after 15 years by a mean of 0.47 (95% CI [0.10, 0.85]) drinks per week and underestimated intake after 23 years by a mean of 0.79 (95% CI [-1.27, -0.30]) drinks per week, mostly driven by differences between concurrently reported and recalled distilled spirits consumption. Characteristics associated with underestimation of alcohol recall were age of 71 years or older in 2001, self-report of memory difficulties, and self-report of difficulties in physical functioning. In multivariate regression analyses combining 15- and 23-year recall, subjects who reported consumption of more than 14 alcoholic drinks per week in 2001 marginally overestimated recall by slightly more than 1 drink per week (M = 1.18 drinks/week, 95% CI [-0.03, 2.40]). Although significant differences were detected, recalled alcohol intake after 15 and 23 years of follow-up is remarkably reliable.

Beverage-Specific Alcohol Sale and Suicide in Russia

The high suicide rate in Russia and its profound fluctuation over the past decades have attracted considerable interest. There is growing evidence that beverage preference and binge-drinking patterns, i.e., excessive consumption of strong spirits, results in a quicker and deeper level of intoxication, which increases the propensity for the alcohol-related suicide. In line with this evidence, we assumed that higher levels of vodka consumption, in conjunction with binge-drinking patterns, would result in a close, aggregate-level association between vodka sales and suicide in Russia. To test this hypothesis, trends in beverage-specific alcohol sales per capita and suicide rates from 1970 to 2005 in Russia were analyzed employing ARIMA time-series analysis. The results of the time-series analysis suggested that a 1 liter increase in overall alcohol sales would result in a 4% increase in the male suicide rate and a 2.8% increase in the female suicide rate; a 1 liter increase in vodka sales would increase the suicide rate by 9.3% for men and by 6% for women. This study replicates previous findings from other settings, which suggest that suicide rates tend to be more responsive to changes in distilled spirits consumption per capita than to the total level of alcohol consumption. Assuming that drinking spirits is usually associated with intoxication episodes, these findings provide additional evidence that the drinking pattern is an important determinant in the relationship between alcohol and suicide. The outcomes of this study also provide support for the hypothesis that suicide and alcohol are closely connected in cultures where an intoxication-oriented drinking pattern prevails and adds to the growing body of evidence that alcohol plays a crucial role in the fluctuation in suicide mortality rates in Russia during recent decades.

No Difference Between Red Wine or White Wine Consumption and Breast Cancer Risk

Epidemiologic studies have reported an increased risk of breast cancer among women who drink alcohol, including wine ([1][1], [2][2]) Two meta-analyses estimated a ∼10% [95% confidence interval (CI), 5-15%] increased risk of breast cancer with each additional 10 grams (∼1 drink) of alcohol/day

Potential for Alcohol Policy to Decrease the Mortality Crisis in Russia

Post-Soviet Russia experiences among the world's highest prevalence of alcohol-related problems, which contributes to high mortality rates in this region. Reduction in alcohol-related problems in Russia can have strong effects on mortality decline. This article considers the plausibility of application of general principles of alcohol policy translated in the Russian Federation. We conclude that alcohol policy approaches could be implemented in the same ways as they have been in other countries. In addition, there should be special attention to decreasing distilled spirits consumption, illegal alcohol production, nonbeverage alcohol consumption, and enforcement of current governmental regulations.

A community-based intervention to reduce alcohol-related accidents and violence in 9th grade students in southern Sweden: The example of the Trelleborg Project

The purpose of the present study was to analyse if a community-based intervention has led to a decrease in alcohol-related accidents and violence, and whether this was mediated by a reduction in excessive drinking and frequency of distilled spirits consumption. We applied logistic regression analyses on cross-sectional, non-repeated data, which was collected from a questionnaire distributed in classrooms to all 9th graders from 1999 to 2001, and in 2003 ( n = 1376, 724 boys and 652 girls; response rate = 92.3%). All alcohol abstainers ( n = 330) were excluded from the analyses, making the sample 1046 individuals. The odds ratio for alcohol-related accidents was significantly lower, comparing the baseline year (1999) with 2003 (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.27–0.76). There was also an indication that self-reported alcohol-related violence had decreased between 1999 and 2003 (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.43–1.01). When controlling these estimates for excessive drinking and frequency of distilled spirits consumption, the differences between survey years were substantially reduced or even deleted. In conclusion, the decrease in alcohol-related accidents and violence among 15–16-year-olds in Trelleborg, between 1999 and 2002, is likely to be attributed to the identified reduction in excessive drinking and frequency of distilled spirits consumption.

The Impact of Alcohol Taxation on Liver Cirrhosis Mortality

The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of distilled spirits, wine, and beer taxes on cirrhosis mortality using a large-panel data set and statistical models that control for various other factors that may affect that mortality. The analyses were performed on a panel of 30 U.S. license states during the period 1971-1998 (N = 840 state-by-year observations). Exogenous measures included current and lagged versions of beverage taxes and income, as well as controls for states' age distribution, religion, race, health care availability, urbanity, tourism, and local bans on alcohol sales. Regression analyses were performed using random-effects models with corrections for serial autocorrelation and heteroscedasticity among states. Cirrhosis rates were found to be significantly related to taxes on distilled spirits but not to taxation of wine and beer. Consistent results were found using different statistical models and model specifications. Consistent with prior research, cirrhosis mortality in the United States appears more closely linked to consumption of distilled spirits than to that of other alcoholic beverages.

Case 4: Chronic Synovitis Secondary to Gout

Patient SAS is a 64-year-old man with a 14-year history of gout. At age 51, he presented with acute unilateral gout in the first metatarsophalangeal joint with recurrent attacks every 2 to 3 years. These attacks were responsive to colchicine. At this time, his serum uric acid level was 8.3 mg/dL (0.49 mmol/L). Upon questioning, he stated that he was a social drinker of alcoholic beverages, with increased weekend consumption of distilled spirits.

Alcohol Consumption, Alcoholics Anonymous Membership, and Suicide Mortality Rates, Ontario, 1968-1991

The goal of this study is to identify alcohol-related factors that influence mortality rates from suicide. Specifically, we examine the impact of per capita consumption of total alcohol, distilled spirits, and beer and wine; unemployment rate; and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) membership rate on total and male and female suicide mortality rates in Ontario between 1968 and 1991. We studied the impact of alcohol consumption levels, AA membership rates, and unemployment rates on suicide mortality rates in Ontario from 1968 to 1991. Time series analyses with Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) modeling were applied to total and male and female suicide rates. The analyses performed included total alcohol consumption, distilled spirits consumption, beer consumption, and wine consumption. Missing AA membership data were interpolated with cubic splines. Total alcohol consumption and consumption of each of beer, distilled spirits, and wine were significantly and positively related to total and female suicide mortality rates. AA membership rates were negatively related to total and female suicide rates. Although data for males did not reach significance (except for the relationship between wine consumption and suicide rate), the direction of effects was consistent with that observed for female and total suicide rates. Unemployment rates were positively related to male and total suicide rates in some models. These data confirm the important relationships between per capita consumption measures and suicide mortality rates seen by previous investigators. Additionally, the results for AA membership rates are consistent with the hypothesis that AA membership and treatment for misuse of alcohol can exert beneficial effects observable at the population level.

Cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between alcohol consumption and lipids, blood pressure and body weight indices.

Serum lipids, blood pressure and body mass may mediate the U-shaped relationship of alcohol consumption with type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease. This study examines the cross-sectional and long-term longitudinal relationships of (changes in) alcohol consumption with (changes in) serum lipids, blood pressure and body mass indices. In this prospective, observational cohort study, two measurements of alcohol consumption, serum total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, body weight, the thickness of four skinfolds and waist circumference were performed 4 years apart in healthy volunteers (143 men and 174 women, 32 years old at the first measurement). Alcohol consumption from beer, wine and distilled spirits was assessed using an extensive dietary history interview. Linear regression analyses were performed to study the cross-sectional relationships between the amount of alcohol consumed at the age of 32 years and the levels of the lipids, blood pressure and body weight indices, and to study the longitudinal relationships between the changes in the amount of alcohol consumed over the 4 years of follow-up and the concurrent changes in the lipids, blood pressure and body weight indices. Nonlinearity was investigated for the cross-sectional relationships. A 10-g/day difference in alcohol consumption was positively related with a 0.05 mmol/L (1.9 mg/dl) difference in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in both cross-sectional (p = .004), and longitudinal (p < .0001) analyses. This relationship did not differ for men and women or for the consumption of beer, wine or distilled spirits. Relationships with changes in total cholesterol, triglycerides, systolic, diastolic, and pulse pressure, body weight and the sum of four skinfolds were not significant. A borderline significant inverse longitudinal relationship was found with waist circumference. The other lifestyle behaviors (tobacco smoking, physical activity and dietary habits) were major confounders of most cross-sectional relationships between alcohol and serum lipids, blood pressure and body mass indices. The longitudinal relationships, however, were not confounded by changes in the other lifestyle behaviors. A significant nonlinear relationship was found for systolic blood pressure, in which drinkers of about 30 g/day had the lowest values. Moderate alcohol consumption and moderate long-term changes in alcohol consumption are positively related with the levels and changes in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in healthy adult men and women. A moderate inverse association between alcohol and waist circumference may be expected. No relationships were found with triglycerides, blood pressure, body weight and the sum of the thickness of four skinfolds. Other lifestyle behaviors confound the cross-sectional, but not the longitudinal, relationships between alcohol consumption and serum lipids, blood pressure and body mass indices. Gender and type of beverage do not modify the relationships between alcohol consumption and these indices.