A study has shown that people who drink alcohol in small doses have a lower risk of poor outcomes of cardiovascular disease than non-drinkers. The work was published in BMC Medicine. However, scientists doubt the accuracy of the results and do not believe that it is necessary to start drinking to maintain heart health.
Scientists have collected data on 48,000 people suffering from cardiovascular disease. They compared the amount of alcohol they drink with their risk of heart attack, stroke, and death over 20 years.
The study showed that people who consumed alcohol in amounts equivalent to 6-8 grams of pure alcohol per day, the risk of another heart attack or stroke was 27% lower than those who did not drink at all. Eating 6 grams per day was associated with a 50% reduction in these risks.
The maximum dose of alcohol that was associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular events and death was 15 grams per day (the equivalent of a bottle of wine per week). This dose is lower than what is considered relatively safe in the US for healthy men (105 versus 196 grams of pure alcohol per week).
“Our data suggest that people with cardiovascular disease may not need to completely avoid alcohol to prevent stroke, heart attack or angina. But they should consider lowering the dose. Since drinking is associated with a risk of developing other diseases, non-drinkers with cardiovascular disease should not be advised to start drinking,” said Chengyi Ding of University College London, co-author of the study.
The scientists caution that their findings may overstate the protective effect of alcohol on people with cardiovascular disease. The authors point out that there may be inaccuracies in the results due to the fact that it is difficult to take into account all factors in an observational study. In addition, people may inaccurately report how much alcohol they drink.
Does alcohol really protect the heart?
Previously, a number of observational studies did indicate that light drinkers are less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease. However, experts warn that the accuracy of such works can be lame. For example, in a group of non-drinkers, there may be those who are “tied up” or do not drink for health reasons. This can significantly spoil the mortality statistics among those who do not drink alcohol.
In 2019, a large study that used genetic methods found no protective effect of alcohol: moderate drinkers had a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes than non-drinkers.
Almost all major medical organizations doubt the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention writes:
“Although some studies have found improvements in health outcomes among moderate drinkers, it is impossible to conclude whether these improvements are due to alcohol consumption or other differences in behavior or genetic traits.”
The World Health Organization points out: there are no safe doses of alcohol. This conclusion was made on the basis of the largest global study of the effects of alcohol on health.