After HF Diagnosis, Alcohol Consumption May Increase Survival

Individuals with heart failure (HF) who consume 7 or fewer alcoholic drinks a week may have an increased chance of survival, according to a new study.

After controlling for other factors, limited alcohol consumption was determined to be significantly associated with increased survival after HF compared with abstinence from alcohol, suggesting that older adults who develop HF may not need to abstain from moderate levels of alcohol consumption.

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The prospective cohort study included 5888 participants aged 65 years or older who were recruited to the Cardiovascular Health Study between June 12, 1989, and June 1993, from 4 US sites.

Of those participants, 393 had a new diagnosis of HF within the first 9 years of follow-up through June 2013. The study analysis was performed between January 19, 2016, and September 22, 2016.

The researchers divided alcohol consumption into 4 categories: abstainers (never drinkers), former drinkers, 7 or fewer alcoholic drinks per week, and more than 7 drinks per week.

Alcohol consumption after HF diagnosis was reported in 129 (32.8%) of the participants.

The researchers found that participants who consumed 7 or fewer alcoholic drinks per week had an additional mean survival of 383 days compared with the participants who abstained from alcohol.

Multivariable model estimates of mean time from HF diagnosis to death were 2640 days for never drinkers, 3046 days for consumers of 0 to 7 drinks per week, and 2806 for consumers of more than 7 drinks per week.

Consumption of 10 drinks per week was associated with the longest survival, a mean of 3381 days after HF diagnosis.

“Our findings should not be used to recommend that individuals who are newly diagnosed with HF should initiate alcohol consumption if they had formerly been abstainers,” the researchers concluded. “Likewise, patients with suspected alcohol-induced cardiomyopathy should continue to abstain from alcohol consumption.”

—Colleen Murphy

Reference:

Sadhu JS, Novak E, Mukamal KJ, et al. Association of alcohol consumption after development of heart failure with survival among older adults in the Cardiovascular Health Study. JAMA Netw Open. 2018;1(8):e186383. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.6383.