Research Shows Less Alchohol Use Is Good For The Heart

In an analysis of UK Biobank participants, light to moderate drinkers had the lowest heart disease risk, followed by people who abstained from drinking. Light to moderate drinkers tended to have healthier lifestyles than abstainers and this likely accounted for better heart health, the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) reported for SciTechDaily.

Photo Insert: Genetic evidence in this same population suggested that all levels of alcohol intake are associated with increased cardiovascular risk.

Genetic evidence in this same population suggested that all levels of alcohol intake are associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Notably, the risk of cardiovascular disease linked to light alcohol consumption was modest but rose exponentially with higher intake, even at intake levels currently endorsed as “low risk.”

Observational research has suggested that light alcohol consumption may provide heart-related health benefits, but in a large study published in JAMA Network Open, alcohol intake at all levels was linked with higher risks of cardiovascular disease.

The findings, which are published by a team led by researchers at MGH and the Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, suggest that the supposed benefits of alcohol consumption may actually be attributed to other lifestyle factors that are common among light to moderate drinkers.

The study included 371,463 adults—with an average age of 57 years and an average alcohol consumption of 9.2 drinks per week—who were participants in the UK

Biobank, a large-scale biomedical database and research resource containing in-depth genetic and health information. Consistent with earlier studies, investigators found that light to moderate drinkers had the lowest heart disease risk, followed by people who abstained from drinking.

People who drank heavily had the highest risk. However, the team also found that light to moderate drinkers tended to have healthier lifestyles than abstainers—such as more physical activity and vegetable intake, and less smoking. Taking just a few lifestyle factors into account significantly lowered any benefit associated with alcohol consumption.

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic