Objective: To assess the risk of death associated with various patterns of alcohol intake. Design: Prospective study of mortality in relation to alcohol consumption at recruitment, with active annual follow up. Setting: Four small, geographically defined communities in Shanghai, China. Subjects: 18 244 men aged 45‐64 years enrolled in a prospective study of diet and cancer during January 1986 to September 1989. Main outcome measure: All cause mortality. Results: By 28 February 1995, 1198 deaths (including 498 from cancer, 269 from stroke, and 104 from ischaemic heart disease) had been ide...
