Full article: http://eurheartj.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/ehm574v1

European Heart Journal Advance Access published online on January 9, 2008
European Heart Journal, doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehm574

The combined influence of leisure-time physical activity and weekly alcohol
intake on fatal ischaemic heart disease and all-cause mortality
Jane Østergaard Pedersen1,2,*, Berit Lilienthal Heitmann2, Peter Schnohr3
and Morten Grønbæk1

Abstract
Aims: To determine the combined influence of leisure-time physical activity
and weekly alcohol intake on the risk of subsequent fatal ischaemic heart
disease (IHD) and all-cause mortality.

Methods and results: Prospective cohort study of 11 914 Danes aged 20 years
or older and without pre-existing IHD. During ~20 years of follow-up, 1242
cases of fatal IHD occurred and 5901 died from all causes. Within both
genders, being physically active was associated with lower hazard ratios
(HR) of both fatal IHD and all-cause mortality than being physically
inactive. Further, weekly alcohol intake was inversely associated with fatal
IHD and had a U-shaped association with all-cause mortality. Within level of
physical activity, non-drinkers had the highest HR of fatal IHD, whereas
both non-drinkers and heavy drinkers had the highest HR of all-cause
mortality. Further, the physically inactive had the highest HR of both fatal
IHD and all-cause mortality within each category of weekly alcohol intake.
Thus, the HR of both fatal IHD and all-cause mortality were low among the
physically active who had a moderate alcohol intake.

Conclusion: Leisure-time physical activity and a moderate weekly alcohol
intake are both important to lower the risk of fatal IHD and all-cause
mortality.