Table 4. Mean Differences in Adjusted Medicare Costs (in $1,000) Among 4,392 CHS Participants Relative to Abstainers, According to Usual Baseline Consumption of Individual Alcoholic Beverages.
| Beverage | Weekly Number of Drinks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| |||||
| None | ≤1 | >1-6 | >6 | P-Value1 | |
| Wine | Ref | -0.0 ±1.1 | -0.3 ±2.2 | -2.0 ±1.9 | 0.20 |
| Beer | Ref | 0.2 ±1.0 | -1.8 ±2.2 | -2.5 ±1.8 | 0.19 |
| Liquor | Ref | -0.9 ±1.0 | -0.8 ±1.7 | -1.2 ±1.4 | 0.49 |
1
P-values derive from analysis of variance and assess the homogeneity of costs across all categories.
NOTES: CHS is Cardiovascular Health Study. All estimates adjusted for age, sex, race, cohort, clinic site, pack-years of smoking, body-mass index, depression score, social support score, social network score, living alone, dietary pattern, and consumption of the other beverage types. Ref is reference category.
SOURCE: Kenneth J. Mukamal, M.D., M.P.H., Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, 2006.