U curve phenomenon

U curve phenomenon

U shaped curve Epidemiology A curve that describes the relationship between alcohol intake and the risk of MI, when viewed vis-á-vis CAD-related mortality; the U curve phenomenon also occurs in weight loss/gain, where those subjects with the most stable weight have the lowest mortality for all–nonmalignant causes and for CAD; the mortality is said to ↑ in weight cycling. Cf J curve phenomenon.