One drink a day reduces heart disease

One alcoholic drink a day can help reduce the risk of heart disease in middle-aged men according to a report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. However, this is not a prescription for men to become frequent drinkers of alcohol as there are health risks attached to the regular consumption of alcoholic drinks.

Dr. J Michael Gaziano who carried out the research commented, "there seems to be benefit of light to moderate alcohol consumption." However, to put this into perspective, he added, "people should not drink instead of doing other preventative activities such as stopping smoking, controlling cholesterol and exercising."

The report acknowledges that excess alcohol consumption can have extremely serious adverse health effects and men are cautioned to consult their doctor or health professional before changing their lifestyle habits. In particular, people with liver disease, or a history of alcohol abuse should not drink at all, while those with diabetes and hypertension may drink small amounts of alcohol if approved by their physician.

Gaziano and his colleagues analysed reported alcohol consumption of 82,299 male physicians between the ages of 40 and 84 years with no prior medical history of heart attack, stroke, cancer or liver disease. Analysing the data, the report concluded that light to moderate drinking, perhaps one per day, shows significant health benefits in reducing the risk of heart disease, with no increased risk of cancer.

Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2000;35:96-105

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This page was last updated on 02 August 2000 11:55:34