Controversial Alcohol Study

Men Benefit Most from Beer and Wine Consumption

Nov 20, 2009 Rupert Taylor

Drinking a bottle of wine a day offers some protection from cardiovascular disease; of course, that level of consumption may destroy other organs.

A Spanish study delivers more confirmation that low levels of alcohol consumption help protect people from heart disease. According to BBC News (November 19, 2009) reporting on the study: “Drinking alcohol every day cuts the risk of heart disease in men by more than a third.” The benefits for women are more modest.

The study has become controversial in stating that high levels of drinking also reduces the risk of cardiovascular problems.

However, before anyone goes out to get ripped in the hope that this is going to boost their heart health, be warned by the BBC and the study authors: “Experts are critical, warning heavy drinking can increase the risk of other diseases, with alcohol responsible for 1.8 million deaths globally per year.”

Thousands of Spaniards in Heart Study

Kathleen Doheny, reporting for WebMD Health News (November 18, 2009), says the study evaluated “more than 41,000 men and women enrolled in the ongoing European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC) study. That study includes a half million adults living in 10 Western European countries.”

The participants were all aged between 29 and 69 and they were all free of heart disease when the study began. They were followed for a median of ten years (half longer, half less). All the people enrolled in the study lived in Spain, where it was carried out under the direction of Larraitz Arriola, MD, of the Public Health Department of Gipuzkoa in San Sebastian, Spain.

The Telegraph newspaper in the United Kingdom points out that Spain is “one of the world’s largest producers of wine but [has] one of the lowest death rates from heart disease.”

Men Benefit Most from Alcohol Consumption

What the researchers found was confirmation of several other studies; that drinking any kind of alcohol does lower the risk of cardiovascular catastrophe. Here’s what Dr. Arriola and her colleagues found:

• Light drinking reduced risk by 35 percent;
• Moderate drinking reduced risk by 51 percent;
• High and very high levels of drinking reduced risk by 54 percent and 50 percent; and,
• Former drinkers had a 10 percent risk reduction.

Definitions of Light and Moderate Drinking

Rebecca Smith, the Medical Editor of The Telegraph writes (November 19, 2009) that the heart protection does not increase with higher levels of boozing.

“The authors found that drinking between five and 30 grams of alcohol a day…or up to one large glass of red wine, reduced the risk of developing heart disease by half.” However, “the equivalent to over one bottle of red wine a day - still had a 50 percent lower chance of heart disease.”

The positive effects were not restricted to red wine, which has long been known to possess substances in the skins of grapes that help keep hearts healthy. All forms of alcoholic beverages delivered positive results if taken in moderation.

Conclusions of Study Challenged

While many media outlets have been having fun with headlines such as “Men are Ale and Hearty” in the Mirror, or “A Drink (or Nine) May Help Your Heart, Guys” at ABC News, there is a more serious aspect. The downside of drinking a bottle of wine a day is an increased risk of cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, and accidental death.

The Health Correspondent of The Times, David Rose, writes “Robert Sutton, professor of surgery at the University of Liverpool, said the study had ‘several flaws’ and should not be taken to suggest that high alcohol consumption can improve health.”

Rose also interviewed Cathy Ross, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation. She pointed out “Cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle, is associated with high alcohol intake and can lead to a poor quality of life and premature death.” She added that alcohol adversely affects the brain, pancreas, and other organs.

The copyright of the article Controversial Alcohol Study in General Medicine is owned by Rupert Taylor. Permission to republish Controversial Alcohol Study in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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