Alcohol may protect male heart

Thursday November 19th, 2009

Regular drinking of alcohol by men may cut their risk of heart disease by as much as a third, according to the results of a major European study published today.

Anti-alcohol campaigners will be disturbed by a conclusion that even those men who drink large amounts gain benefit for the heart.

More than 41,000 Spanish adults were studied for the research published in the journal Heart.

The Spanish are amongst the world's heaviest drinkers - having the sixth highest level in the world. And the country is the world's third largest producer of beer and wine.

The researchers, led by Larraitz Arriola, of the public health department of Gipuzkoa, Basque Government, San Sebastian, Spain, said their findings showed men gained benefit whatever type of alcohol they drank.

The research showed little benefit for women.

The researchers say: "The type of alcohol drunk did not affect the level of protection afforded, but protection was greater for those drinking moderate to high levels of alcohol, which included beverages other than just wine."

The findings are set to prove controversial. Similar findings in the past have been criticised for not taking into account the number of people who give up alcohol because of chronic disease, such as diabetes.

The Spanish researchers found that ex-drinkers often had diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels - and say that ex-drinkers were not treated as non-drinkers.

Critics will also point out that heavy drinking causes other problems, especially liver disease.

And they may say the findings cannot be applied to northern countries, such as Britain, where the diet is very different from Spain's Mediterranean lifestyle.

Heart 2009 doi 10.1136/hrt.209.173419

Link to blog-posting asking how these findings relate to studies of the Mediterranean diet

Tags: Drug and Alcohol Abuse | Europe | Heart Health | Men’s Health

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