Impact of body mass and alcohol consumption on all‐cause and liver mortality in 240 000 adults in the United States

Introduction

Nationally representative studies of the combined impact of drinking and body mass (BMI) on mortality outcomes are unavailable. We investigate whether both act together to elevate risk of all‐cause or liver mortality.

Methods

We obtained self‐reported histories of drinking and BMI from 129 098 women (mean age 47.2 years) and 102 568 men (mean age 45.6 years) ≥18 years interviewed from 1997 to 2004 in the National Health Interview Survey and related these data to the deaths that occurred by 31 December 2006 (women = 8486; men = 7819 deaths). Death hazards among current drinkers in different BMI groups were adjusted for age, education, race and smoking.

Results

Obese (≥30 kg m−2) adults with consumption of >40 g day−1 (women) or >60 g day−1 (men) pure ethanol were at risk of increased mortality from all‐cause and chronic liver disease (P trend <0.0001). For heavy drinkers with BMI ≥30 kg m−2, each 5 kg m−2 higher BMI was associated with an elevated all‐cause mortality in men (hazard ratios 1.27, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16–1.40) and women (1.12, [1.02–1.24]). The excess risk due to interaction was more pronounced in men (7.30, [3.60–11.00]) than women (2.90, [0.50–5.30]).

Discussion and Conclusions

Obesity and excess alcohol are both related to all‐cause and liver mortality—the latter with evidence of a supra‐additive interaction between the risk factors. The presence of both factors in the same population and their impact should inform treatment, public health policies and research.