Written by Catharine Paddock PhD
A new BMJ study finds that even
among people who drink only light to moderate amounts of alcohol, reducing
consumption can improve heart health, reduce body mass index, and bring down
blood pressure.
The large multi-center
international study, which was co-led by the Perelman School of Medicine at the
University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, calls into question previous
research that suggests light to moderate drinking may be good for the heart.
Glass of red wine
The researchers found that people
with a particular gene consumed 17% less alcohol per week, were less likely to
binge drink, and were more likely to abstain from alcohol altogether, than
non-carriers.
The study defines light to
moderate drinking as consuming 0.6 to 0.8 fluid ounces of alcohol a day, or 17
to 23 ml, which is roughly what a 175 ml glass of wine contains.
The 155 researchers - from the
UK, continental Europe, North America, and Australia - pooled and analyzed data
about links between drinking habits and heart health from 56 epidemiological
studies covering more than 260,000 people of European descent.
They found that people with a
particular gene consumed 17% less alcohol per week, were less likely to binge
drink, and were more likely to abstain from alcohol altogether, than non-
carriers.
These lower alcohol consumers
typically had a 10% average reduced risk of coronary heart disease, lower blood
pressure and a lower body mass index (BMI).
The researchers conclude that
reducing alcohol consumption across all levels of consumption - even light to
moderate drinking - is beneficial for heart health.
Co-lead author Michael Holmes, a
research assistant professor in Perelman School of Medicine's department of
Transplant Surgery, says, "Contrary to what earlier reports have shown, it
now appears that any exposure to alcohol has a negative impact upon heart
health."
He explains how for some time,
observational studies have suggested only heavy drinking is bad for the heart,
and that light drinking might even provide some benefit, and this has led some
people to believe moderate consumption is good for their health, even lowering
their risk of heart disease.
Even for light-to-moderate
drinkers, reduced consumption may improve heart health
"However, what we're seeing
with this new study, which uses an investigative approach similar to a
randomized clinical trial, is that reduced consumption of alcohol, even for
light-to-moderate drinkers, may lead to improved cardiovascular health,"
says Prof. Holmes.
The focus of the study was
investigating the heart health of people who carry a particular version of the
gene "alcohol dehydrogenase 1B" which codes for a protein that helps
to break down alcohol more quickly than in non-carriers.
The rapid breakdown causes
nausea, facial flushing, and other symptoms, and is linked to lower levels of
alcohol consumption over time.
The team used the gene as an
indicator of lower alcohol consumption, and from there found the links between
lower consumption and improved heart health.
Funds from the British Heart
Foundation and the Medical Research Council in the UK financed the study.
In April 2014, Medical News Today
learned how neuroscientists at the University of Utah are investigating a
region of the brain that regulates how sensitive we are to the negative effects
of alcohol. Inactivating this region of the brain in rats led them to drink
more alcohol, at a faster pace.
Original Post in Medical News Today
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