Peeraphatdit T, Ahn JC, Choi DH, et al. - With regard to the development of hepatic steatosis and mortality, researchers performed a retrospective cohort study to investigate the interaction of alcohol consumption with body mass index (BMI). The sample consisted of 18,506 candidates without fatty liver disease or cirrhosis at enrollment in the Mayo Clinic Biobank from April 9, 2009 through March 31, 2016. Candidates were categorized via self-reported alcohol consumption status (non-drinkers, moderate drinkers [0 to 2 drinks per day], and heavy drinkers [> 2 drinks per day]). Of 18,506 participants, the cohort (mean ± SD age, 55.8 ± 16.9 years; 63.8% female; mean ± SD BMI, 28.8 ± 6.1 kg/m²) comprised 3,657 (19.8%) nondrinkers, 14,236 (76.9%) moderate drinkers, and 613 (3.3%) heavy drinkers at registration. Six hundred eighty-four participants developed hepatic steatosis and 968 died after a median follow-up of 5.8 years (interquartile range, 3.8 to 7.2 years). In obese people, the development of hepatic steatosis is correlated with even moderate alcohol use. In normal-BMI and overweight people, moderate alcohol intake is associated with lower mortality, but not in those who are obese.