Water, Other Fluids, and Fatal Coronary Heart Disease: The Adventist Health Study

Abstract

Whole blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, hematocrit, and fibrinogen are considered independent risk factors for coronary heart disease and can be elevated by dehydration. The associations between fatal coronary heart disease and intake of water and fluids other than water were examined among the 8,280 male and 12,017 female participants aged 38-100 years who were without heart disease, stroke, or diabetes at baseline in 1976 in the Adventist Health Study, a prospective cohort study. A total of 246 fatal coronary heart disease events occurred during the 6-year follow-up. High daily intakes of water (five or more glasses) compared with low (two or fewer glasses) were associated with a relative risk in men of 0.46 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.28, 0.75; p trend = 0.001) and, in women, of 0.59 (95% CI: 0.36, 0.97). A high versus low intake of fluids other than water was associated with a relative risk of 2.47 (95% CI: 1.04, 5.88) in women and of 1.46 (95% CI: 0.7, 3.03) in men. All associations remained virtually unchanged in multivariate analysis adjusting for age, smoking, hypertension, body mass index, education, and (in women only) hormone replacement therapy. Fluid intake as a putative coronary heart disease risk factor may deserve further consideration in other populations or using other study designs.

Impact of mild dehydration on wellness and on exercise performance

“…There does seem to be some evidence of a link between habitual fluid intake and cancers of the bladder (Michaud et al, 1999), and colon (Shannon et al, 1996). Links with other disease states, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease have also been postulated, but the evidence is somewhat tenuous (Burge et al, 2001;Chan et al, 2002). It is also the case that individuals with a high fluid intake may be chronically hypohydrated if they also have a high water requirement, so water turnover may not be a good index of tissue hydration status (Shirreffs & Maughan, 1998).…”

“Drink at least eight glasses of water a day.” Really? Is there scientific evidence for “8 × 8”?

“…Moreover, even though it can be argued that the subjects were healthy, the surveys do not address the question of whether the subjects were as healthy as they would have been had they drunk more fluid. A very systematic survey, possibly prospective and certainly incorporating the exacting standards of today's evidence-based medicine (21,25,27), would be needed to settle that point. By the time such a meticulous survey might show that the incidence or severity of certain diseases is reduced by drinking 8 ϫ 8 or more, we may have genomic information that would limit the advice "to drink at least eight glasses" to only a portion of the population.…”

Implantable cardioverter defibrillators: Uses, abuses, gains and complications

“…(15) There are many non-specific predictors of SCD including an elevated high sensitivity CRP; positive family history of sudden death; male sex; reduced water intake; abstaining from alcohol; times around holidays; and a lack of religious belief. (16)(17)(18)(19) While men appear to be at high risk for SCD, dogs as pets appear to modulate this risk substantially. (20) One could even draw a geographic map of where the risk for SCD is greatest and then only target individuals who live in that area.…”