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Drinking frequency and quantity and risk of suicide among men

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Abstract

Background

Individuals who die from suicide commonly have consumed alcohol immediately beforehand, often in large quantities. However, prospective cohort data on regular alcohol use as a risk factor for suicide are lacking.

Method

As part of the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, 47,654 men free of cancer prospectively reported their drinking habits, including average use, drinking frequency, and typical maximal use on repeated occasions beginning in 1986. Participants were followed for death to 2002.

Results

A total of 136 men died from suicide during follow-up. Quantity of alcohol consumed per drinking day tended to be associated with a greater risk of suicide mortality, with an adjusted hazard ratio among men consuming 30.0 or more grams (more than two drinks) per drinking day of 2.42 (95% confidence interval, 0.75–7.80; P-trend 0.05). Average alcohol consumption, drinking frequency, and binge drinking were not independently associated with risk. The apparent relationship of quantity consumed per drinking day with risk was not substantially changed by adjustment for serious illness or other dietary factors and was most notable for suicide associated with firearm use.

Conclusions

Among men, risk of death from suicide tends to be associated primarily with quantity of alcohol consumed per drinking day, not with drinking frequency or overall alcohol consumption. This finding supports guidelines that limit consumption among men who choose to drink alcohol to two drinks or less per drinking day.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by grants AA014900, AA11181, HL35464, HL03533, and CA55075 from the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. The funding sources for this work had no role in the analysis, presentation, or publication of results.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 1309 Beacon Street, 2nd Floor, Brookline, MA, 02446, USA

    Kenneth J. Mukamal MD, MPH, MA

  2. Dept. of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Heath, Boston, MA, USA

    Ichiro Kawachi MD, PhD

  3. Channing Laboratory, Brigham Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Ichiro Kawachi MD, PhD & Eric B. Rimm ScD

  4. Dept. of Health Policy and Management, Harvard School of Public Heath, Boston, MA, USA

    Matthew Miller MD, MPH, ScD

  5. Dept. of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Heath, Boston, MA, USA

    Eric B. Rimm ScD

  6. Dept. of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Heath, Boston, MA, USA

    Eric B. Rimm ScD

Authors
  1. Kenneth J. Mukamal MD, MPH, MA
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  2. Ichiro Kawachi MD, PhD
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  3. Matthew Miller MD, MPH, ScD
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  4. Eric B. Rimm ScD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kenneth J. Mukamal MD, MPH, MA.

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Mukamal, K.J., Kawachi, I., Miller, M. et al. Drinking frequency and quantity and risk of suicide among men. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 42, 153–160 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-006-0144-1

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