Association between clinically recorded alcohol consumption and initial presentation of 12 cardiovascular diseases: population based cohort study using linked health records

OBJECTIVES To investigate the association between alcohol consumption and cardiovascular disease at higher resolution by examining the initial lifetime presentation of 12 cardiac, cerebrovascular, abdominal, or peripheral vascular diseases among five categories of consumption. DESIGN Population based cohort study of linked electronic health records covering primary care, hospital admissions, and mortality in 1997-2010 (median follow-up six years). SETTING CALIBER (ClinicAl research using LInked Bespoke studies and Electronic health Records). PARTICIPANTS 1937360 adults (51% women), aged >= 30 who were free from cardiovascular disease at baseline. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES 12 common symptomatic manifestations of cardiovascular disease, including chronic stable angina, unstable angina, acute myocardial infarction,