Epidemiological and experimental studies have consistently linked alcoholic beverage consumption with the development of several chronic disorders, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and obesity. The impact of drinking is usually dose-dependent, and light to moderate drinking tends to lower risks of certain diseases, while heavy drinking tends to increase the risks. Besides, other factors such as drinking frequency, genetic susceptibility, smoking, diet, and hormone status can modify the association. The amount of ethanol in alcoholic beverages is the determining factor in most cases, and beverage types could also make an influence. This review summarizes recent studies on alcoholic beverage consumption and several chronic diseases, trying to assess the effects of different drinking patterns, beverage types, interaction with other risk factors, and provide mechanistic explanations.

Background: Influenza is a globally prevalent infectious disease caused by influenza viruses, affecting individuals across all age groups. Influenza vaccination is the most effective method for preventing influenza. Vaccine Effectiveness (VE) is used to assess the real-world effectiveness of vaccines. Currently, there is no data on the effectiveness of influenza vaccination in Wuhan. This study employed a test-negative case-control design to evaluate the VE of influenza vaccination in Wuhan during the 2024-2025 season. Methods: A test-negative case-control design was used. Patients presenting with influenza-like illness (ILI) who underwent influenza virus RT-PCR testing at outpatient or emergency departments of 41 medical institutions in Wuhan were selected and classified into case (influenza virus RT-PCR positive) and control (influenza virus RT-PCR negative) groups. Results: This study included 23,302 influenza virus RT-PCR positive cases and 99,424 negative controls. The overall adjusted VE was 35% (95% CI: 30%-40%). Among age groups, the adjusted VE was highest in adults aged 19-59 years and 60-69 years, at 63% (95% CI: 50%-73%) and 60.7% (95% CI: 46%-72%), respectively. The VE was relatively lower in children and adolescents aged 0.5-5 years and 6-18 years, at 25% (95% CI: 17%-33%) and 25% (95% CI: 14%-36%), respectively. Regarding vaccination strategy, the VE for vaccination in both consecutive seasons and vaccination in the current season only were similar, at 42% (95% CI: 28%-54%) and 40% (95% CI: 36%-45%), respectively, while VE for vaccination in the previous season only was 20% (95% CI: 14%-26%). Among vaccination months, protection was highest for vaccination in November, with a VE of 46.1% (95% CI: 36.4%-54.6%). Conclusions:Vaccination in both consecutive seasons and vaccination in the current season only provided better protective effectiveness compared to vaccination in the previous season only (42% vs. 20%). The protective effectiveness of influenza vaccination in November was superior to other months.

Background: Vaccine Effectiveness (VE) provides an important indicator of vaccine performance under real-world conditions. However, evidence regarding influenza VE in Wuhan remains limited. This study applied a test-negative case–control design to estimate the effectiveness of influenza vaccination during the 2024–2025 influenza season in Wuhan. Methods: A test-negative case–control design was conducted among patients presenting with influenza-like illness (ILI) at outpatient and emergency departments of 41 healthcare institutions in Wuhan. All participants underwent influenza virus real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing and were categorized as cases (RT-PCR positive) or controls (RT-PCR negative) based on laboratory results. Results: The analysis included 23,302 RT-PCR-confirmed influenza cases and 99,424 test-negative controls. The overall adjusted VE was 35% (95% CI: 30–40%). VE differed across age group, with higher estimates observed among adults aged 19–59 years (63%; 95% CI: 50–73%) and 60–69 years (60.7%; 95% CI: 46–72%), whereas lower effectiveness was observed among children aged 0.5–5 years (25%; 95% CI: 17–33%) and 6–18 years (25%; 95% CI: 14–36%). Similar protection was observed among individuals vaccinated in both the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 seasons (42%; 95% CI: 28–54%) and those vaccinated in the 2024–2025 season only (40%; 95% CI: 36–45%), whereas VE was lower among individuals vaccinated only during the previous season (20%; 95% CI: 14–26%). VE also varied by vaccination timing, with the highest effectiveness observed among individuals vaccinated in November 2024 (46.1%; 95% CI: 36.4–54.6%). Conclusions: Influenza vaccination provided measurable protection during the 2024–2025 season in Wuhan. Greater protection was observed among individuals vaccinated in consecutive seasons or during the current season compared with those vaccinated only in the prior season. Vaccination administered in November was associated with the highest effectiveness, highlighting the importance of appropriate vaccination timing.