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Drinking in moderation has been linked
with a lower risk of having a heart attack. Now, two new studies
show that a drink a day may promote survival in patients
after a heart attack, as well as help the elderly steer clear
of heart failure.
Alcohol, they explain, has been shown
to raise HDL ("good") cholesterol and prevent
blood clots from forming.
Despite the findings, the authors point
out that heavy drinking can lead to adverse health effects
and stress that individuals discuss the risks and benefits
of alcohol with their doctors.
In the study, patients who consumed seven
drinks a week in the year before their heart attack had a
32% lower risk of dying compared with teetotalers.
And those who consumed less than seven drinks a week lowered
their risk of dying by 21% over nearly 4 years, compared with
patients who abstained from drinking.
The findings suggest that alcohol consumption
is probably safe after a heart attack for moderate drinkers.
Another study found that elderly people who drank at least
1.5 drinks per day had a risk of heart failure 47% lower
than abstainers, regardless of age, race, blood pressure,
history of diabetes, smoking and other factors.
The studies do not justify advising lifelong
nondrinkers to start drinking for health, especially because
most have good reasons for abstinence. However, the studies
add important information to the evidence on alcohol and health
and should be helpful to clinicians in making individualized,
judicious recommendations about alcohol drinking for patients
with heart disease.
Journal of
the American Medical Association April 18, 2001; 285: 1965-1977
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