Alcohol consumption and risks of more than 200 diseases in Chinese men
Authors: Im Pek Kei , Wright Neil , Yang Ling , Chan Ka Hung , Chen Yiping , Guo Yu , Du Huaidong , Yang Xiaoming , Avery Daniel , Wang Shaojie , Yu Canqing , Lv Jun , Clarke Robert , Chen Junshi , Collins Rory , Walters Robin G. , Peto Richard , Li Liming , Chen Zhengming , Millwood Iona Y. ,   China Kadoorie Biobank Collaborative Group, Wang Chen , Barnard Maxim , Bennett Derrick , Boxall Ruth , Clarke Johnathan , Mohamed Ahmed Edris , Fry Hannah , Gilbert Simon , Iona Andri , Kakkoura Maria , Kartsonaki Christiana , Lam Hubert , Lin Kuang , Liu James , Mazidi Mohsen , Morris Sam , Nie Qunhua , Pozarickij Alfred , Ryder Paul , Said Saredo , Schmidt Dan , Stevens Becky , Turnbull Iain , Wang Baihan , Wang Lin , Yao Pang , Han Xiao , Hou Can , Xia Qingmei , Liu Chao , Pei Pei , Sun Dianjianyi , Chen Naying , Liu Duo , Tang Zhenzhu , Chen Ningyu , Jiang Qilian , Lan Jian , Li Mingqiang , Liu Yun , Meng Fanwen , Meng Jinhuai , Pan Rong , Qin Yulu , Wang Ping , Wang Sisi , Wei Liuping , Zhou Liyuan , Dong Caixia , Ge Pengfei , Ren Xiaolan , Li Zhongxiao , Mao Enke , Wang Tao , Zhang Hui , Zhang Xi , Chen Jinyan , Hu Ximin , Wang Xiaohuan , Guo Zhendong , Li Huimei , Li Yilei , Weng Min , Wu Shukuan , Yan Shichun , Zou Mingyuan , Zhou Xue , Guo Ziyan , Kang Quan , Li Yanjie , Yu Bo , Xu Qinai , Chang Liang , Fan Lei , Feng Shixian , Zhang Ding , Zhou Gang , Gao Yulian , He Tianyou , He Pan , Hu Chen , Sun Huarong , Zhang Xukui , Chen Biyun , Fu Zhongxi , Huang Yuelong , Liu Huilin , Xu Qiaohua , Yin Li , Long Huajun , Xu Xin , Zhang Hao , Zhang Libo , Su Jian , Tao Ran , Wu Ming , Yang Jie , Zhou Jinyi , Zhou Yonglin , Hu Yihe , Hua Yujie , Jin Jianrong , Liu Fang , Liu Jingchao , Lu Yan , Ma Liangcai , Tang Aiyu , Zhang Jun , Cheng Liang , Du Ranran , Gao Ruqin , Li Feifei , Li Shanpeng , Liu Yongmei , Ning Feng , Pang Zengchang , Sun Xiaohui , Tian Xiaocao , Zhai Yaoming , Zhang Hua , Hou Wei , Lv Silu , Wang Junzheng , Chen Xiaofang , Wu Xianping , Zhang Ningmei , Chang Xiaoyu , Chen Xiaofang , Li Jianguo , Liu Jiaqiu , Luo Guojin , Sun Qiang , Zhong Xunfu , Gong Weiwei , Hu Ruying , Wang Hao , Wang Meng , Yu Min , Chen Lingli , Gu Qijun , Pan Dongxia , Wang Chunmei , Xie Kaixu , Zhang Xiaoyi 
Published: June 2023

Alcohol consumption accounts for ~3 million annual deaths worldwide, but uncertainty persists about its relationships with many diseases. We investigated the associations of alcohol consumption with 207 diseases in the 12-year China Kadoorie Biobank of >512,000 adults (41% men), including 168,050 genotyped forALDH2-rs671andADH1B-rs1229984, with >1.1 million ICD-10 coded hospitalized events. At baseline, 33% of men drank alcohol regularly. Among men, alcohol intake was positively associated with 61 diseases, including 33 not defined by the World Health Organization as alcohol-related, such as cataract (n = 2,028; hazard ratio 1.21; 95% confidence interval 1.09–1.33, per 280 g per week) and gout (n = 402; 1.57, 1.33–1.86). Genotype-predicted mean alcohol intake was positively associated with established (n = 28,564; 1.14, 1.09–1.20) and new alcohol-associated (n = 16,138; 1.06, 1.01–1.12) diseases, and with specific diseases such as liver cirrhosis (n = 499; 2.30, 1.58–3.35), stroke (n = 12,176; 1.38, 1.27–1.49) and gout (n = 338; 2.33, 1.49–3.62), but not ischemic heart disease (n = 8,408; 1.04, 0.94–1.14). Among women, 2% drank alcohol resulting in low power to assess associations of self-reported alcohol intake with disease risks, but genetic findings in women suggested the excess male risks were not due to pleiotropic genotypic effects. Among Chinese men, alcohol consumption increased multiple disease risks, highlighting the need to strengthen preventive measures to reduce alcohol intake.