Return to Main Menu

Research shows alcohol may benefit hearts of new drinkers A Department of Family Medicine study concluded that people who began moderately consuming alcohol in middleage experience a quick benefit of lower rates of cardiovascular disease morbidity with no change in mortality after four years.   In addition, the study found that those who consumed alcohol for the heart health benefits rarely drank more than recommended amounts. The study has been published in the March issue of the American Journal of Medicine, and was conducted by MUSC's Dana E. King, M.D., Arch G. Mainous III, Ph.D., and Mark E. Geesey.   “Most people are aware that moderate alcohol use can be part of a healthy lifestyle, yet current guidelines caution non-drinkers against starting to drink in middle age,” said King, lead author of the study. “We wanted to evaluate whether adopting moderate alcohol consumption in middleage would lower cardiovascular risk. We were excited to find that moderate alcohol consumption, or one to six servings a week, lowered cardiovascular risk for our participants.”   In contrast to a recently published study in the British Public Library of Science journal, PLoS Medicine, MUSC’s study showed no increase in blood pressure for participants at moderate consumption levels (two drinks per day or fewer for men, one drink per day or fewer for women) during the four years of the study. New moderate drinkers had a 38 percent lower chance of developing cardiovascular disease than did their confirmed non-drinking counterparts. This difference remained after adjustment for demographic and cardiovascular risk factors.     Friday, March 21, 2008 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.