The debate surrounding the health risks and benefits of alcohol consumption continues. Health experts agree that heavy daily consumption of alcohol and binge drinking carry undisputed health risks. What about moderate drinking? Sorting through the ever-changing opinions on alcohol consumption can be mind numbing. For millions of men with high blood pressure, however, the consequences of moderate alcohol consumption are now better defined.
In the January 2007 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, Kenneth J. Mukamal MD, MPH and his colleagues at Harvard Medical School report the results of a 16-year study of male health professionals diagnosed with hypertension to investigate the clinical effects of alcohol consumption on cardiovascular disease. The study was designed to fill the void of information regarding the effect of moderate drinking (2-3 drinks per day), specifically on myocardial infarctions, or heart attacks. The drinking habits of each participant were self-reported on a food-frequency questionnaire. The incidence of myocardial infarction, fatal coronary heart disease, or stroke was also determined for each patient. Statistical analysis was applied to determine whether alcohol consumption correlated with these clinical outcomes.
The data indicate that moderate drinking significantly reduces the risk for myocardial infarction, and that the more alcohol consumed, the lower the risk for a heart attack. In contrast, alcohol consumption had no effect on either the incidence of death due to cardiovascular disease or total deaths. The authors explain that because strokes were rare in this study population, the association between alcohol and stroke could not be determined (Beulens et al. 2007 Ann Inter Med 146).
While this study was large (11,711 patients) and well controlled for health variables that would impact the clinical outcomes of these patients (for example: body mass, smoking, age), there are problems with the data set. First, alcohol consumption and hypertension were self-reported, which often leads to inaccuracies. Secondly, the authors could not definitively rule out that some heavy drinkers became ill from alcohol-related disease that disallowed cardiovascular disease. Finally, these results may support the impact of social or psychological status (men with thriving social lives may drink more but have reduced stress levels) rather than a biological effect of alcohol.
