Heavy and nonheavy drinking occasions, all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and hospitalizations: a follow-up study in a population with a low consumption level.

The findings contribute to the cumulating evidence that drinking pattern matters. Moderate drinking is associated with a lower risk of IHD, whereas drinking in a heavy episodic manner (often referred to as "binge drinking") is not. The results underline the importance of considering, in addition to the volume of consumption, the pattern of drinking in epidemiological studies.