Disease

Number of cases

Number of men

Percentage of men

Number of women

Percentage of women

Coronary heart disease

48,880

27,580

56.4

21,300

43.6

Stroke

26,200

13,050

49.8

13,150

50.2

Heart failure

26,580

11,150

41.9

15,430

58.1

Diabetes mellitus type 2

52,740

28,890

54.8

23,850

45.2

Lung diseases (COPD)

32,500

17,250

53.1

15,250

46.9

Breast cancer

14,070

80

0.6

13,990

99.4

Colorectal cancer

13,260

7,200

54.3

6,060

45.7

Lung cancer

11,670

7,100

60.8

4,570

39.2

Dementia

12,650

4,070

32.2

8,580

67.8

Total

238,550

116,370

48.8

122,180

51.2

*These numbers were obtained from www.volksgezondheidenzorg.info/ranglijst-ziekten-op-basis-van-ziekten and concern data obtained for 2011. Depression was not separately ascertained; in 2011, 280,000 persons were diagnosed with mood disorders, of which depression was most common.
Table 1: Incidence of the nine most burdensome diseases in the Dutch population in both men and women*

Relative Risk for Men*

Relative Risk for Women*

Alcohol (g/day)

0-2.5

2.5-14.9

15-29.9

30-60

>60

0-2.5

2.5-14.9

15-29.9

30-60

>60

Disease

CHD(10)

1

0.75

0.66

0.67

0.76

1

0.75

0.66

0.67

0.76

Stroke(10)

1

0.80

0.92

1.15

1.62

1

0.80

0.92

1.15

1.62

Heart failure(38)

1

0.80

0.78

0.77

0.77#

1

0.80

0.78

0.77

0.77#

Diabetes type 2(8)

1

0.80

0.75

0.71

1.06

1

0.59

0.55

0.78

1.0013

Breast cancer(39)

1

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1

1.10

1.15

1.30

2.00

Colorectal cancer(35)

1

1.05

1.05

1.25

1.81

1

1.05

1.05

1.25

1.81

Lung cancer(40)

1

1.18

1.01

1.48

1.48#

1

0.84

1.00

1.06

1.06#

Dementia(41)

1

0.74

0.74

1.119

1.119

1

0.74

0.74

1.11

1.11

*Gender specific relative risks were derived from the publications referred to for each specific disease. ^{^}Risks have been provided in two decimals. ^#The relative risk for the category >60 g alcohol /day were assumed to be similar as the >30 g alcohol/day category, because the relevant meta-analysis did only provide a relative risk for >30 g alcohol/day. ¹³The RR is not presented, this is an estimate. ⁹Anstey indicates that the RR does not exceed 1 at very high consumption levels, this figure represents an average RR for dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.
Table 2: Relative risks for the most burdensome diseases in Dutch men and women per alcohol consumption category^

Disease incidence for men

Disease incidence for women

Alcohol (g/day)

0-2.5

2.5-14.9

15-29.9

30-60

>60

0-2.5

2.5-14.9

15-29.9

30-60

>60

Disease

CHD

7,182

5,387

4,740

4,812

5,459

5,547

4,160

3,661

3,716

4,216

Stroke

2,377

1,902

2,187

2,734

3,851

2,395

1,916

2,204

2,755

3,880

Heart failure

2,706

2,165

2,111

2,084

2,084

3,745

2,996

2,921

2,884

2,884

Diabetes type 2

6,688

5,350

5,016

4,748

7,089

6,084

3,590

3,346

4,746

6,084

Breast cancer

16

16

16

16

16

2,136

2,349

2,456

2,777

4,272

Colorectal cancer

1,169

1,227

1,227

1,461

2,116

984

1,033

1,033

1,230

1,781

Lung cancer

1,154

1,362

1,166

1,709

1,709

921

774

921

977

977

Dementia

866

641

641

961

961

1,826

1,351

1,351

2,026

2,026

Total

22,158

18,050

17,104

18,525

23,283

23,638

18,169

17,894

21,110

26,119

#Incidences has been expressed as absolute numbers. Disease incidence distribution was calculated from diseases incidence (Table1) and relative risks for the most burdensome diseases in Dutch men and women per alcohol consumption category (Table 2).
Table 3: Diseases incidence distribution for men and women for the most burdensome diseases in The Netherlands per alcohol consumption category*