Alcohol Use and Tuberculosis Risk
Author Information
Author(s): Lönnroth Knut, Williams Brian G, Stadlin Stephanie, Jaramillo Ernesto, Dye Christopher
Primary Institution: World Health Organization
Hypothesis
What is the association between alcohol use and the risk of tuberculosis?
Conclusion
People who drink more than 40 g of alcohol per day or have an alcohol use disorder have a significantly higher risk of developing active tuberculosis.
Supporting Evidence
- The pooled relative risk for high alcohol consumption was 3.50.
- Exclusion of small studies reduced the pooled relative risk to 2.94.
- Studies showed significant heterogeneity in results.
Takeaway
Drinking a lot of alcohol can make you much more likely to get tuberculosis, a serious lung disease.
Methodology
Systematic review of 21 studies including cohort and case-control studies.
Potential Biases
Different control selection methods may have influenced results.
Limitations
Heterogeneity across studies and potential publication bias.
Participant Demographics
Included various populations with alcohol use disorders and tuberculosis.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.01
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 1.89–4.59
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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