How Much Alcohol is Good for Your Heart?
Don’t drink at all and miss out on the benefits; drink too much and you could pay
August 15, 2012 |
By Emily Norris, Managing Editor, Peak Health Advocate
Isn’t it great when scientists tell us that the “bad stuff” most of us enjoy might actually be good for us? For instance,
chocolate can help us get our cholesterol under control, we can still
eat carbs and lose weight, our morning cup of
coffee could help prevent a stroke, and
a little sun worship may protect us as we age.
And you’ve probably heard the
benefits of red wine
touted. That’s because red wine contains a powerful antioxidant known
as resveratrol, which has been associated with lower incidences of
cancer and cardiovascular disease, as well as cholesterol-lowering and
anti-inflammatory properties.
Over the years, numerous studies have been conducted on the potential
benefits of alcohol consumption. In “Alcohol and the Heart: An Ounce of
Prevention,” published in the journal
Current Treatment Options in Cardiovascular Medicine, the authors reviewed a wealth of research dealing with alcohol’s effect, particularly on the cardiovascular system.[1]
While many positive benefits were associated with alcohol, which we
will cover in a moment, a common theme emerged with regard to the
amount of
alcohol consumed, leading the authors to point out that the challenge
here might be in recommending the “right doses.” You see, just like a
little alcohol may help to mend a broken heart, drink too much of it and
it has quite a different (and potentially dangerous) effect.
As we go through the alcohol-related research, keep in mind that
while the definition of what constitutes a “light,” “moderate” or
“heavy” drinker may vary slightly from study to study, in general, “one
drink” refers to a 12-ounce bottle of beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, or
1.5 ounces of liquor (either straight up or in a mixed drink).
Alcohol and Cholesterol
Alcohol has been linked to several well-known changes in
lipoproteins, and moderate alcohol intake has been associated with
reduced LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and increased HDL (“good”) cholesterol.
In fact, one study showed that one to two drinks per day increased HDL
by 12% on average, which is similar to the increase seen with exercise
programs and fibric acid medications.
This is especially good news when you consider that a separate study
estimated that about half of the decrease in coronary heart disease risk
may be attributed to an increase in plasma HDL, while only 20% was
attributed to a reduction in plasma LDL. (See
4 Ways to Raise Your Good Cholesterol Naturally.)
Alcohol and Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy is a serious disease in which the heart muscle becomes
inflamed and doesn’t work as it should, and among other things, it can
be brought on by prolonged heavy drinking (5-15 years). However,
research suggests that moderate alcohol intake could have the opposite
effect.
One study reported a 59% lower risk of heart failure among men who
consumed 8-14 drinks per week compared to those who didn’t drink.
(Sorry, ladies, no statistically significant association was observed in
women.)
In another study, adults age 65 years or older who consumed 7-13 drinks per week had a 34% lower risk of heart failure.
Alcohol and Sudden Cardiac Death
Moderate alcohol intake has also been associated with a decrease in
sudden cardiac death in healthy adults. In a study of 85,067 women
without reported cardiovascular disease, light-to-moderate intake of
alcohol was associated with a 36% lower risk of sudden cardiac death as
compared to those who abstained from alcohol.
And a study of 22,071 apparently healthy male physicians showed that
men who consumed light-to-moderate amounts of alcohol (two to six drinks
per week) had up to an 80% lower risk of sudden cardiac death compared
to non-drinkers.
This is great news for the occasional drinker, but here’s a scary finding:
When
it comes to people who drank more than six alcoholic beverages a day,
the risk of sudden death was increased more than twofold.
Alcohol and Coronary Artery Disease
According to the authors, research over the past 30 years has
consistently shown the protective effect of moderate alcohol consumption
on fatal and non-fatal coronary artery disease (CAD). However, some
studies show a protective effect at moderate levels and increasing
mortality at higher levels, while others show that protection does not
decrease with heavy drinking (more than four to five drinks per day).
Here, drinking frequency may be more important than quantity. One
study showed a similar risk of incidence of CAD in men who drank as much
as three to four drinks per day if they consistently drank over five to
seven days per week and in light drinkers (one drink per day) as long
as it was spread over seven days.
The cardio-protective benefits were similar in women, with the caveat
being that heavy drinking had a negative impact. For women, the
benefits became muted after two drinks per day and became a
statistically significant risk factor after four to five drinks per day,
regardless of days spent drinking each week.
It does seem as though women get the short end of the stick when it
comes to the heart benefits of alcohol, and researchers have developed
theories around this, including that women are more susceptible to
cirrhosis than men, and this can lead to decreased levels of HDL.
So far we’ve discussed the effects of alcohol on healthy adults, but
are there also benefits for those who already have coronary artery
disease or CAD risk factors?
Studies showed a statistically significant reduction (15%-25%) of
all-cause mortality for subjects with pre-existing CAD who drank
moderately, relative to non-drinkers. And researchers who analyzed data
from the US Cancer Prevention II Study involving 490,000 men and women,
found that regular drinkers with cardiovascular-related conditions (CAD,
stroke, diabetes, hypertension) had a greater reduction in CAD
mortality versus a similar group of non-drinkers.
The Good and Bad News
So it seems we can confidently say that research points to the
protective heart benefits of moderate drinking, especially for men.
To sum up, the authors concluded: "“From available studies, the
majority of evidence indicates that moderate alcohol consumption
(typically defined as less than 30 g of ethanol or less than 2 drinks per day) does provide an all-cause
mortality benefit. Specifically, a moderate level of alcohol intake has
been associated with decreased CAD-associated mortality in patients
with pre-existing CAD or CAD risk-factors, regardless of gender.
Likewise, there is a decreased risk of heart failure, sudden cardiac
death, and an improved lipid profile with increased HDL and decreased
LDL in adults who drink moderate amounts of alcohol.”
Now the bad news …
The authors also were careful to point out the risks of alcohol,
which include greater incidence of ear, nose and throat cancer, and
colorectal cancer at moderate levels, and cirrhosis even at light
levels. Furthermore, heavy drinking has been linked with alcoholic
cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation, blood pressure elevation and, as we
mentioned, a more than twofold increase in sudden cardiac death.
So, as with most things in life, it would seem that moderation is the key.
