Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (21)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by CORRAO, G.
Right arrow Articles by TORCHIO, P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by CORRAO, G.
Right arrow Articles by TORCHIO, P.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1998 Medical Council on Alcohol

research-article

META-ANALYSIS OF ALCOHOL INTAKE IN RELATION TO RISK OF LIVER CIRRHOSIS

GIOVANNI CORRAO*, VINCENZO BAGNARDI, ANTONELLA ZAMBON and PIERFEDERICO TORCHIO

Department of Statistics, University of Milan Italy

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed at Dipartimento di Statistica, Università di Milano, Viale Sarca, 202, 20136 Milan, Italy

Received 13 October 1997; first review notified 19 January 1998; accepted 18 February 1998

The heterogeneity in the results of observational studies that investigated the association between alcohol consumption and risk of liver cirrhosis was ana]ysed by means of a meta-analysis that included 15 articles published from 1978 to 1997. Relative risks associated with low levels of alcohol intake (25 g/day) ranged from 1.5 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1 4–1.5] for a linear model fitting the results of the six studies performed in Mediterranean areas, to 3.6 (95% CI 3.1–4.3) for a quadratic model fitting the results of the nine studies performed in other areas. A strong indication of heterogeneity was observed when combining all studies. Quadratic term of alcohol intake, quality of the study and area in which the study was performed explained most of this heterogeneity. Efforts should be made to explain the strong heterogeneity in the trend estimates. Reproducible methods to collect relevant and valid information on alcohol intake should be developed and the role of drinking patterns and viral and nutritional factors in modifying the effect of alcohol on the risk of liver cirrhosis should be investigated.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Alcohol AlcoholHome page
L. C. Thygesen, P. Mikkelsen, T. V. Andersen, H. Tonnesen, K. Juel, U. Becker, and M. Gronbaek
Cancer Incidence among Patients with Alcohol Use Disorders--Long-Term Follow-Up
Alcohol Alcohol., July 1, 2009; 44(4): 387 - 391.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 GutHome page
P. Mathurin and P. Deltenre
Effect of binge drinking on the liver: an alarming public health issue?
Gut, May 1, 2009; 58(5): 613 - 617.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am J EpidemiolHome page
B. Liu, A. Balkwill, A. Roddam, A. Brown, V. Beral, and on behalf of the Million Women Study Collaborators
Separate and Joint Effects of Alcohol and Smoking on the Risks of Cirrhosis and Gallbladder Disease in Middle-aged Women
Am. J. Epidemiol., January 15, 2009; 169(2): 153 - 160.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.