Meta-analysis of alcohol consumption and venous thromboembolism

Background The associations of alcohol consumption and venous thromboembolism (VTE) have been investigated widely, but the conclusions were inconsistent. Objective To summarize the relationship of alcohol consumption and VTE. Methods This study has been registered in PROSPERO (ID: CRD42020164567). We searched the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library databases from inception to September 2019 and reviewed the reference list of relevant articles to identify studies assessing the association between alcohol consumption and risk of VTE. Results Fourteen cohorts and four case-control studies were included in the meta-analysis. Compared with non-drinkers, the risk of VTE was decreased (RR: 0.93; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.88-0.99) for alcohol drinkers. The pooled RRs of VTE were 0.91 (95% CI 0.84-0.99) for low to moderate alcohol intake (0.1-14.0 drinks/week) and 0.91 (95% CI 0.78-1.06) for high alcohol intake (>14.0 drinks/week) compared with non-drinker. Subgroup analysis showed liquor intake might slightly increase the risk of VTE (1.01; 95% CI 0.85-1.21) although the difference was not significant. Conclusions Alcohol consumption in low to moderate was associated with a lower risk of VTE. However, precautions are needed when providing personal drinking advice considering the potential harm of alcohol. Further studies are warranted to determine whether moderate alcohol consumption has a causal role in VTE.

Automated summary

This study summarizes the relationship between alcohol consumption and venous thromboembolism (VTE). The results show that low to moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a lower risk of VTE, but caution is needed when giving personal drinking advice due to the potential harm of alcohol.