Table 2 Hazard ratios (95% CI) for cancer mortality by alcohol consumption category based on both lifetime abstinence history and current drinking status (n = 331,984).

From: Low-level alcohol consumption and cancer mortality

Alcohol consumption category

Median (IQR) alcohol consumption (g/day)

Person-years

Number of events

Mortality rate (100,000 person-years)

Age-adjusted HRs (95% CI)

Multivariable-adjusted HR (95% CI)a

HR (95% CI)b in model using time-dependent variables

Total (n = 331,984)

Never drinker

0 (0–0)

87,360.7

30

34.3

1.00 (reference)

1.00 (reference)

1.00 (reference)

Former drinker

0 (0–0)

134,645.6

33

24.5

2.75 (1.65–4.57)

2.89 (1.73–4.81)

3.86 (2.38–6.28)

0.1 to < 10 g/day

4 (2–6)

722,653.1

114

15.8

1.67 (1.09–2.54)

1.70 (1.11–2.59)

1.58 (1.03–2.43)

10 to < 20 g/day

14 (10–14)

291,163.3

68

23.4

2.41 (1.49–3.87)

2.39 (1.48–3.85)

2.28 (1.41–3.70)

20 to < 40 g/day

27 (23–32)

218,459.4

67

30.7

2.66 (1.64–4.31)

2.57 (1.57–4.19)

2.34 (1.42–3.85)

≥ 40 g/day

55 (46–71)

179,624.4

62

34.5

2.88 (1.76–4.72)

2.74 (1.67–4.52)

2.97 (1.80–4.90)

Men (n = 186,651)

Never drinker

0 (0–0)

14,397.5

10

69.5

1.00 (reference)

1.00 (reference)

1.00 (reference)

Former drinker

0 (0–0)

42,793.1

16

37.4

1.56 (0.70–3.45)

1.63 (0.73–3.61)

2.29 (1.06–4.94)

0.1 to < 10 g/day

4 (3–6)

311,006.7

59

19.0

0.88 (0.45–1.72)

0.92 (0.46–1.81)

0.86 (0.43–1.70)

10 to < 30 g/day

15 (12–21)

338,412.0

89

26.3

1.28 (0.66–2.49)

1.28 (0.66–2.51)

1.31 (0.67–2.57)

30 to < 60 g/day

41 (36–50)

164,704.9

57

34.6

1.62 (0.81–3.20)

1.56 (0.78–3.12)

1.63 (0.81–3.28)

≥ 60 g/day

78 (68–100)

68,908.3

29

42.1

1.70 (0.82–5.96)

1.62 (0.77–3.39)

1.82 (0.87–3.81)

Women (n = 145,333)

Never drinker

0 (0–0)

72,963.2

20

27.4

1.00 (reference)

1.00 (reference)

1.00 (reference)

Former drinker

0 (0–0)

91,852.5

17

18.5

2.56 (1.31–5.05)

2.71 (1.37–5.35)

3.74 (1.96–7.11)

0.1 to < 10 g/day

3 (2–4)

411,646.5

55

13.4

1.66 (0.96–2.87)

1.59 (0.92–2.75)

1.68 (0.97–2.91)

10 to < 20 g/day

13 (10–14)

70,328.0

15

21.3

3.10 (1.53–6.26)

2.93 (1.44–5.95)

2.28 (1.03–5.05)

20 to < 40 g/day

26 (21–31)

31,339.3

5

16.0

2.37 (0.87–6.47)

2.23 (0.81–6.16)

2.64 (0.96–7.28)

≥ 40 g/day

54 (45–72)

15,554.7

2

12.9

2.08 (0.48–9.05)

2.08 (0.47–9.08)

2.46 (0.56–10.8)

  1. P = 0.257 for the overall interaction between sex and alcohol consumption categories for cancer mortality (multivariable model).
  2. aEstimated from Cox proportional hazard models using age as a timescale to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 percent confidence intervals (95% CIs). Multivariable model was adjusted for age (timescale), sex (only for total subjects), center, year of screening exam, smoking status, total energy intake, physical activity, BMI, education level, history of diabetes, history of hypertension, history of cardiovascular disease, and family history of cancer.
  3. bEstimated from Cox proportional hazard models with alcohol consumption, smoking status, physical activity, total energy intake, and BMI as time-dependent categorical variables and baseline age, sex, center, year of screening exam, education level, history of diabetes, history of hypertension, history of cardiovascular disease, and family history of cancer as time-fixed variables.
  4. BMI body mass index, CI confidence interval, HR hazard ratio, IQR interquartile range.
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