The relationship of alcohol consumption with left ventricular mass in people 35 years old or older in rural areas of Western China.

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between alcohol intake and left ventricular mass (LVM) independent of the effects of blood pressure and other factors in rural areas of Western China. The present study included 1007 subjects (487 men and 520 women) aged ≥35 years from the Tongan district, Chongqing, China. The quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption were estimated from a validated questionnaire. Echocardiography was used to assess left ventricular dimensions. Drinkers was associated with higher LVM compared with nondrinkers (β = 6.9, 95% confidence interval: 1.3-12.5, P = .015). A dose-dependent higher LVM across increasing alcohol consumption was observed (P < .05). LVM was significantly correlated with regular drinking (β = 10.0, 95% confidence interval: 3.6-16.4). In subjects with hypertension, quantity of alcohol consumption (P for interaction = .013) and frequency of alcohol consumption (P for interaction = .025) were strongly associated with higher LVM when stratified by blood pressure. However, interactions linked to age, body mass index, and gender were found to be no significant difference. These results indicate that both quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption are independent predictors of LVM in rural areas of Western China. The effects of alcohol consumption on LVM are enhanced among subjects with hypertension.