Epidemiology and Infection
- Epidemiology and Infection / Volume 138 / Issue 12 / December 2010, pp 1789-1795
- Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010
- DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0950268810000774 (About DOI), Published online: 12 April 2010
Original Papers
Pneumonia and other respiratory infections
Alcohol consumption as a risk factor for pneumonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
A. V. SAMOKHVALOVa1 c1, H. M. IRVINGa1 and J. REHMa1a2a3
a1 Public Health and Regulatory Policy, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
a2 Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Canada
a3 Epidemiological Research Unit, Klinische Psychologie & Psychotherapie, Technische Universität, Dresden, Germany
SUMMARY
The aim of this study was to quantify the association between alcohol consumption and incidence of pneumonia and to examine possible pathways. This was done by a systematic review and meta-analyses on the dose–response relationship between alcohol consumption or alcohol-use disorders and the incidence of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). The relative risk (RR) of CAP increased monotonically with increasing alcohol consumption. Individuals consuming 24, 60, and 120 g of pure alcohol daily demonstrated RRs for incident CAP of 1·12 (95% CI 1·02–1·23), 1·33 (95% CI 1·06–1·67) and 1·76 (95% CI 1·13–2·77), respectively, relative to non-drinkers. Clinically defined alcohol-use disorders were associated with an eightfold increased risk of CAP (RR 8·22, 95% CI 4·85–13·95). In conclusion, alcohol was found to be a risk factor for pneumonia with a clear statistical association, and a monotonic dose–response relationship.
(Accepted March 16 2010)
(Online publication April 12 2010)
Key Words:
Correspondence:
c1 Author for correspondence: Dr A. V. Samokhvalov, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Public Health and Regulatory Policy, 33 Russell Street, Room 2035, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2S1. (Email: avsamokhvalov@yahoo.ca)
