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NEW YORK, Mar 09 (Reuters Health) - A drink or two per day has been shown to be good for the heart, but exactly how alcohol bestows its benefits has been unclear. Now new research suggests that in moderate amounts, alcohol may fight inflammation in heart arteries.
Many studies--although not all--have linked moderate drinking to a lower risk of heart disease. Still others have suggested the habit may protect against stroke and Alzheimer's disease.
The reasons for alcohol's health benefits remain unclear, but experts have pointed to its blood-thinning effects and ability to raise "good" cholesterol levels as possible explanations. In the March 10th issue of The Lancet, German researchers report that moderate drinking has an anti-inflammatory effect that helps explain its link to better heart health.
A team led by Dr. Armin Imhof of the University of Ulm Medical Centre looked at drinking habits and heart health among 2,000 men and women aged 18 to 88.
The investigators found that those who drank moderately showed signs of less inflammation in the body compared with both nondrinkers and heavy drinkers. In particular, the moderate drinkers had significantly lower levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a blood protein involved in the body's inflammatory response. Some research has linked CRP levels with heart disease risk.
Inflammation is part of the body's normal response to injury. But inflammation can also damage tissue, and it is believed to play a role in illnesses ranging from heart disease to cancer.
In the current study, Imhof's team found that moderate drinking was linked to fewer signs of inflammation even when health factors such as smoking, body mass and cholesterol levels were considered. Study participants who drank more heavily or not at all showed higher levels of inflammation.
Despite the possible heart-healthy effects of alcohol, experts warn that people should not try to drink their way to a stronger heart. The American Heart Association's nutrition committee recently urged doctors to downplay the potential benefits of alcohol in favor of promoting exercise and diets rich in fruit and vegetables.
The committee pointed to the possible health risks of consuming more than two alcoholic drinks per day, and noted that wine drinkers tend to be thinner and exercise more--which could explain the link between wine consumption and better heart health seen in some studies.
SOURCE: The Lancet 2001;357:763-767.
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