Alcohol Consumption and Arterial Stiffness: A Longitudinal Study of Pulse Wave Velocity in the Whitehall II Cohort

Arterial stiffness is an important marker of cardiovascular health. Recent evidence from cross-sectional research has suggested it is associated with alcohol consumption. Research that employs a longitudinal perspective may be better equipped to evaluate the nature of this relationship and in particular to determine whether alcohol consumption is linked to the progression of arterial stiffness over time. The current study will consequently implement a longitudinal cohort design to evaluate the association between long-term alcohol consumption patterns and changes in arterial stiffness. Data will be drawn from the Whitehall II cohort study of British civil servants, in which participants completed repeat pulse wave velocity (PWV) assessments of arterial stiffness across a four-to-five year interval. Repeat measurements of volume of alcohol intake were also recorded for participants, extending back across more than two decades. Intake will be categorised in such a way as to distinguish between different alcohol consumer types, including non-drinkers and former drinkers. Linear mixed effects models will be used with adjustment for potential confounds, such as age, diabetes, mean arterial pressure and heart rate. Results from the modelling work will illustrate the extent and form of the association between alcohol intake and PWV. This work will provide useful insights into the role that alcohol intake plays in the longitudinal progression of an important cardiac marker, and it will have implications for our understanding of alcohol's relationship to cardiovascular health in the general population.