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Moderate Alcohol Consumption and Chronic Disease: The Case for a Long‐Term Trial
Author(s) -
Mukamal Kenneth J.,
Clowry Catherine M.,
Murray Margaret M.,
Hendriks Henk F.J.,
Rimm Eric B.,
Sink Kaycee M.,
Adebamowo Clement A.,
Dragsted Lars O.,
Lapinski P. Scott,
Lazo Mariana,
Krystal John H.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/acer.13231
Subject(s) - randomized controlled trial , medicine , disease , clinical trial , intensive care medicine , psychological intervention , psychiatry
Drinking within recommended limits is highly prevalent in much of the world, and strong epidemiological associations exist between moderate alcohol consumption and risk of several major chronic diseases, including coronary heart disease, diabetes, and breast cancer. In many cases, plausible biological mediators for these associations have been identified in randomized trials, but gold standard evidence that moderate drinking causes or prevents any chronic disease remains elusive and important concerns about available evidence have been raised. Although long‐term randomized trials to test the observed associations have been termed impossible, clinical investigators have now successfully completed randomized trials of complex nutritional interventions in a variety of settings, along with trials of alcohol consumption itself of up to 2 years duration. The successful completion of these trials suggests that objections to the execution of a full‐scale, long‐term clinical trial of moderate drinking on chronic disease are increasingly untenable. We present potential lessons learned for such a trial and discuss key features to maximize its feasibility and value.