Mild to moderate use linked to lower risk of heart attack and death in patients with heart disease

(Reuters) – Light to moderate alcohol consumption is linked to a reduced risk of heart attack, stroke and death in people with heart disease, according to a study published Monday in the journal BMC Medicine.

The biggest benefit – a 50% reduction in risk compared to non-drinkers – was seen in people with heart disease who drank an average of 6 grams of alcohol per day. (A standard “unit” of alcohol is 8 grams in the UK, while the average drink in the US is 14 grams.)

People who consumed an average of 8 grams per day had a 27% lower risk of death from heart attack, stroke or angina compared to those who did not drink. Those who drank 7 grams per day had a 21% lower risk of death from any cause.

Drinking higher amounts, up to an average of 15 grams of alcohol per day, was linked to smaller reductions in risk. bit.ly/3kV2xN9

“Our results suggest that people with CVD (cardiovascular disease) may not need to stop drinking to avoid further heart attacks, strokes, or angina, but that they may consider reduce their weekly alcohol intake, ”said Chengyi Ding, co-author of the study. a research student at University College London. She noted, however, “Alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of developing other diseases.

Ding warned that people who do not drink should not be encouraged to drink lightly due to known adverse effects on other health conditions, such as cancer.

The researchers, who evaluated more than 48,000 heart disease patients, found that higher alcohol consumption, up to 62 grams per day, was not associated with increased risk of recurrent heart attack or deaths compared to no alcohol consumption.

Overall, the amounts of alcohol associated with benefit are lower than recommended in most current guidelines. For example, the American Heart Association guidelines for heart patients recommend up to 2 American drinks per day for men and 1 per day for women.

A 2019 study found that older people with heart failure who drink up to seven drinks a week can live longer than those who avoid alcohol altogether. (reut.rs/3y5VwwH)

However, in the past, researchers have found that excessive alcohol consumption is associated with increased levels of blood biomarkers that indicate damage to the heart.

The new study analyzed data from the UK Biobank, the Health Survey for England, the Scottish Health Survey and 12 previous studies.

The researchers caution that their results may overestimate the risk reduction for moderate drinkers with heart disease due to the under-representation of heavy drinkers and the categorization of former drinkers who may have quit.

This story is passed on to remove superfluous words from the first paragraph.