Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Regular moderate drinking may lower heart disease risk, study finds

People with unstable drinking patterns more likely to suffer from coronary illness, scientists say

Jon Sharman
Wednesday 22 August 2018 07:55 BST
Comments
Six surprising health benefits of drinking beer

Moderate drinking may be linked to a lower risk of heart disease, a new study has found.

But the finding was most pronounced among people who drank moderately in a consistent way, and the research showed those who had unstable drinking patterns were more likely to suffer from coronary heart disease (CHD).

And experts warned that some teetotallers may simply have been less healthy in other ways than the drinkers who were studied.

The research, published in the journal BMC Medicine, examined data from six studies, including five from Britain, which examined people’s drinking patterns and their risk of developing CHD.

Data on more than 35,000 people was obtained, and they were tracked for an average of 12.6 years.

Overall, 5 per cent suffered a CHD “event” during the follow-up period.

Alcohol intake was assessed at three different periods of time and then researchers used this data to determine each person’s 10 year alcohol intake trajectories.

The authors found that former drinkers had a significantly higher risk of CHD compared with drinkers who “always adhered to lower risk intake guidelines”.

Among women, non-drinkers also had an increased risk compared with people who were “consistently moderate” in their drinking habits.

But the researchers cautioned that stability of drinking patterns was an important factor – those who drank moderately, but not persistently so, had a greater risk of developing CHD compared with those who consistently drank moderately.

“Overall, the findings from this study support the notion of a cardioprotective effect of moderate alcohol intake relative to non-drinking,” the authors, led by experts from University College London, wrote.

“However, crucially, stability in the level of alcohol consumption over time appears to be an important modifier of this association.”

Commenting on the study, Ben Butler, spokesman for Drinkaware, said: “In the UK, coronary heart disease causes around 66,000 deaths each year.

“Regularly drinking too much can increase the risk of high blood pressure, one of the key risk factors for having a heart attack or stroke. Heavy drinking also weakens the heart muscle which means that the heart cannot pump blood as efficiently.

“Drinking less alcohol can lower your risk of developing serious heart problems, as well as helping you to lose weight, which in turn reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke.”

Professor David Spiegelhalter, a risk expert from the University of Cambridge, sounded a note of caution, and said: “This study showed that moderate drinkers experienced around a third less heart disease than non-drinkers, even when excluding ex-drinkers.

“But it does not mean that moderate drinking actually caused all this difference. Some habitual teetotallers may be just less healthy, and in a way that is not taken into account by all the factors used in statistical adjustment.”

Guidance from the British Chief Medical Officer states that to keep health risks from alcohol to a low level it is safest not to drink more than 14 units a week – the equivalent of six pints of average strength beer.

People who drink this much should spread their drinking over at least three days.

Even just one or two heavy drinking sessions a week can increase a person’s risk of death from long-term illness and from accidents and injuries.

The guidance also warns that the risk of developing a range of health problems – including cancers of the mouth, throat and breast – increases the more a person drinks on a regular basis.

Victoria Taylor, senior dietician at the British Heart Foundation, said: “There is a balance to be sought between the risks and benefits of alcohol consumption.

“While there may be some benefits to heart disease from alcohol consumption, we must bear in mind that there may be implications for other circulatory conditions, such as stroke and vascular dementia, as well as for cancers.

“In reality, you can’t separate your heart health from your general health and there are much safer ways to reduce your risk of heart disease, like keeping fit and eating well. If you do drink, keep within the limit of no more than 14 units a week for both men and women.”

Additional reporting by PA

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in