Using the causes of mortality available in the NHIS data, we evaluated the association between the frequency of non-binge drinking with risk of cardiovascular mortality and risk of cancer-related mortality (Figure 3). A J-shaped relationship was seen between frequency of non-binge drinking and risk of cardiovascular mortality: the minimum risk was seen in individuals who drank 1–2 drinks 4 times weekly. In contrast, the risk of cancer-related mortality increased linearly with frequency of non-binge drinking (i.e. the minimum risk was in individuals who drank 1–2 drinks once monthly, and in former drinkers).
