The risk of hard coronary events in binge drinkers and in never drinkers was very similar and was about twofold higher than in regular alcohol drinkers. The hazard ratio for hard coronary events in binge drinkers compared with regular drinkers was 1.81 (95% CI 1.05 to 3.11) in Belfast and 1.93 (95% CI 0.46 to 7.40) in the French centres. In all centres combined, the hazard ratio for developing hard coronary events compared with regular drinkers was 2.03 (95% CI 1.41 to 2.94) in never drinkers and 1.97 (95% CI 1.21 to 3.22) in binge drinkers. This difference between never drinkers and binge drinkers was not significant (P=0.91; Wald χ2 test). In the entire cohort, the hazard ratio for former drinkers in comparison with regular drinkers was 1.57 (95% CI 1.11 to 2.21). There was no significant difference between the hazard ratios of former drinkers and never drinkers. Both in Belfast and in the French centres, the volume of alcohol intake and the frequency of alcohol consumption were not associated with the risk of developing hard coronary events in regular drinkers (fig 2 and fig 3).
