17% Less Alcohol Consumption = 10% Lower CV Risk

Individuals who consume 17% less alcohol per week can reduce their risk of coronary heart disease, lower blood pressure, and lower body mass index (BMI) by 10%.

Furthermore, the study points out that even individuals who are considered light-to-moderate drinkers (0.6 to 0.8 fl oz per day) may improve their cardiovascular health by reducing alcohol intake.
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“For some time, observational studies have suggested that only heavy drinking was detrimental to cardiovascular health, and that light consumption may actually be beneficial. This has led some people to drink moderately based on the belief that it would lower their risk of heart disease,” said Michael Holmes, MD, PhD, co-lead author and research assistant professor in the department of Transplant Surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

“These new results are critically important to our understanding of how alcohol affects heart disease. Contrary to what earlier reports have shown, it now appears that any exposure to alcohol has a negative impact upon heart health,” he said.

Researchers analyzed evidence from over 50 studies and data from 261,991 individuals to find a link between drinking habits and cardiovascular health.

The study found that people who carry a genetic variant of the alcohol dehydrogenase 1B gene consumed less alcohol over time. Carriers of the gene were also less likely to binge drink and had higher abstention as compared to non-carriers.

Investigators noted that the alcohol dehydrogenase 1B gene causes unpleasant symptoms (eg, nausea and facial flushing) in carriers due to its rapid breakdown of alcohol.

The complete study is published in the July issue of the British Medical Journal.

-Michelle Canales

References:
Holmes MV, Dale CE, Zuccolo L, et al. Association between alcohol and cardiovascular disease: mendelian randomisation analysis based on individual participant data. BMJ. 2014 July [epub ahead of print] doi: dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g4164. 

Penn Medicine. New study shows drinking alcohol, even light-to-moderate amounts, provides no heart health benefits [press release]. July 10, 2014. www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2014/07/holmes/. Accessed July 11, 2014.