How much alcohol is good for the heart?
June 6, 2006 by Lei
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
One of the most popular ways of self-medication for heart disease prevention is alcohol, primarily red wine. But it pays to remember that excessive drinking and binge drinking can lead to high blood pressure, increased triglycerides, heart failure, and stroke among other problems.
New research published in the British Medical Journal found that the protective effects of alcohol differed between men and women.
In men,
- The more they drank, the lower the risk
- One drink a week lowered the risk by about 7 percent
- Two to four drinks by 22 percent
- Five or six drinks a week by 29 percent
- Those who drank every day had a 41 percent lower risk of heart disease than those who did not drink at all.
- Even among men who had up to 35 drinks per week, the protection persisted.
In women,
- One drink a week lowered the risk by 36 percent
- Daily drinking lowered it by 35 percent
- Alcohol consumption had a significant protective effect, but the frequency of drinking had none
Why would men experience a greater protective effect with each additional drink while women’s protection stays constant? It could be due to differences in estrogen levels and menopause.
More on Alcohol, Wine and Cardiovascular Disease at the American Heart Association.
New York Times, June 6, 2006
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