Dying to be equal: women, alcohol, and cardiovascular disease

The Data Notes Series is edited by Dr Bridget Grant, Chief of Biometry of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. This data note explores the relationship of gender, alcohol consumption and premature death from cardiovascular disease (MCVD). Data on the 8164 deaths attributed to MCVD from the National Mortality Followback Study (NMFS) were analyzed controlling for gender and consumption. Women who are heavy drinkers die young at a rate equal to that of men who drink heavily. In light of this, we recommend that future research and preventive efforts in this area include females as subjects and alcohol as a major risk factor.