SamIAM™
10-05-2007, 12:45 PM
Alcohol And Health
Moderate drinkers tend to have better health and live longer than those who are either abstainers or heavy drinkers. In addition to having fewer heart attacks and strokes, moderate consumers of alcoholic beverages (beer, wine or distilled spirits or liquor) are generally less likely to suffer hypertension or high blood pressure, peripheral artery disease, Alzheimer's disease and the common cold. Sensible drinking also appears to be beneficial in reducing or preventing diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, bone fractures and osteoporosis, kidney stones, digestive ailments, stress and depression, poor cognition and memory, Parkinson's disease, hepatitis A, pancreatic cancer, macular degeneration (a major cause of blindness), angina pectoris, duodenal ulcer, erectile dysfunction, hearing loss, gallstones, liver disease and poor physical condition in elderly.
Some Background
Alcohol has been used medicinally throughout recorded history; its medicinal properties are mentioned 191 times in the Old and New Testaments. 1 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#1) As early as the turn of the century there was evidence that moderate consumption of alcohol was associated with a decrease in the risk of heart attack. 2 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#2) And the evidence of health benefits of moderate consumption has continued to grow over time.
The health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption have long been known. One of the earliest scientific studies on the subject was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1904. 6 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#6)
Reviews of research evidence report a strong, consistent relationship between moderate alcohol consumption and reduction in cardiovascular disease in general and coronary artery disease in particular. 3 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#3) On the basis of its extensive review of research, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) reported that moderate drinkers have the greatest longevity. It also found that moderate drinking is beneficial to heart health, resulting in a sharp decrease in heart disease risk (40%-60%). 4 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#4) This is important because cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, and heart disease kills about one million Americans each and every year. 5 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#5)
The Director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism wrote that "Numerous well-designed studies have concluded that moderate drinking is associated with improved cardiovascular health," and the Nutrition Committee of the American Heart Association reported that "The lowest mortality occurs in those who consume one or two drinks per day."7 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#7) A World Health Organization Technical Committee on Cardiovascular Disease asserted that the relationship between moderate alcohol consumption and reduced death from heart disease could no longer be doubted. 8 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#8) But the benefits are not limited, important as they are, to reductions in heart disease.
Alcohol vs. Lifestyle
Why drink to reduce the risk of heart disease? Wouldn't eating a good diet, exercising, and losing weight do the same thing?
No, it wouldn't. The moderate consumption of alcohol appears to be more effective than most other lifestyle changes that are used to lower the risk of heart and other diseases. For example, the average person would need to follow a very strict low-fat diet, exercise vigorously on a regular basis, eliminate salt from the diet, lose a substantial amount of weight, and probably begin medication in order to lower cholesterol by 30 points or blood pressure by 20 points.
But medical research suggests that alcohol can have a greater impact on heart disease than even these hard-won reductions in cholesterol levels or blood pressure. Only cessation of smoking is more effective.Additionally, other medical research suggests that adding alcohol to a healthful diet is more effective than just following the diet alone. 9 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#9)
Longevity
Moderate drinkers tend to live longer than those who either abstain or drink heavily.
A Harvard study found the risk of death from all causes to be 21% to 28% lower among men who drank alcohol moderately, compared to abstainers. 10 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#10)
A large-scale study in China found that middle-aged men who drank moderately had a nearly 20% lower overall mortality compared to abstainers. 11 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#11)
Harvard's Nurses' Health Study of over 85,000 women found reduced mortality among moderate drinkers. 12 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#12)
A British analysis of 12,000 male physicians found that moderate drinkers had the lowest risk of death from all causes during the 13 year study. 13 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#13)
A large study of about 88,000 people conducted over a period of ten years found that moderate drinkers were about 27% less likely to die during the period than were either abstainers or heavy drinkers. The superior longevity was largely due to a reduction of such diseases as coronary heart disease, cancer, and respiratory diseases. 14 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#14)
A large study funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that moderate drinking increased the length of life by about 3% among white males. 15 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#15)
A twelve year long prospective study of over 200,000 men found that subjects who had consumed alcohol in moderation were less likely to die than those who abstained from alcohol. 16 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#16)
A study of more than 40,000 people by the Cancer Research Center in Honolulu found that "persons with moderate alcohol intake appear to have a significantly lower risk of dying than nondrinkers.” 17 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#17)
An analysis of the 89,299 men in the Physicians' Health Study over a period of five and one-half years found that those who drink alcohol in moderation tend to live longer than those who either abstain or drink heavily. 18 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#18)
An Italian study of 1,536 men aged 45-65 found that about two (2) years of life were gained by moderate drinkers (1-4 drinks per day) in comparison with occasional and heavy drinkers. 19 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#19)
A study of 2,487 adults aged 70-79 years, who were followed for an average period of over five and one-half years, found that all-cause mortality was significantly lower in light to moderate drinkers than in abstainers or occasional drinkers (those who drank <1 drink per week). 20 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#20)Healthier Lives
Moderate drinkers tend to enjoy better health than do either abstainers or healthy drinkers.
A nation-wide survey in the U.S. revealed that daily moderate drinkers experienced significantly less acute hospitalization. 21 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#21)
A nine year study of predictors of good health found moderate alcohol consumption to be associated with the most favorable health scores. 22 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#22)
A nation-wide Canadian study found moderate drinkers who consumed alcohol daily to have 15% less disability than the general population. 23 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#23)
A Dutch study found that moderate drinkers under stress were less likely to be absent from work than were either abstainers or heavy drinkers. 24 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#24)Heart Attacks
Moderate drinkers are also less likely to suffer heart attacks than are abstainers or heavy drinkers.
Harvard researchers have identified the moderate consumption of alcohol as a proven way to reduce coronary heart disease risk. 25 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#25)
http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/images/UcurveChart.gifAn exhaustive review of all major heart disease studies found that "Alcohol consumption is related to total mortality in a U-shaped manner, where moderate consumers have a reduced total mortality compared with total non-consumers and heavy consumers." 26 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#26)
A National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism study asserts that "The totality of evidence on moderate alcohol and CHD (coronary heart disease) supports a judgment of a cause-effect relationship... there are cardioprotective benefits associated with responsible, moderate alcohol intake." 27 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#27)
An extensive review of recent medical research by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that, with few exceptions, studies from at least 20 countries around the world demonstrate a 20- to 40-percent lower coronary heart disease CHD incidence among drinkers compared to nondrinkers. Moderate drinkers exhibit lower rates of CHD-related mortality than either heavy drinkers or abstainers. 28 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#28)
A study of 18,455 males from the Physicians Health Study revealed that those originally consuming one drink per week or less who increased their consumption to six drinks per week or less has a 29% reduction in CVD risk compared to those who did not increase their consumption. Men originally consuming 1-6 drinks per week who increased their consumption moderately has a 15% decrease in CVD risk compared to those who made no change. 29 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#29)
The Harvard Health Professionals Follow-Up Study of over 44,000 males found moderate alcohol consumption to be associated with a 37% reduction in coronary disease. 30 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#30)
A British study of women found moderate consumption of alcohol to be associated with lower levels of cardiovascular risk factors. 31 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#31)
A study of over 5,000 women with type 2 diabetes mellitus by Harvard researchers found that coronary heart disease rates "were significantly lower in women who reported moderate alcohol intake than in those who reported drinking no alcohol." Women who drank more than 5 grams (about half a glass) a day reduced their risk of CHD (fatal or nonfatal) by more than half. 32 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#32)
In a study of nearly 88,000 men, Harvard researchers found that drinking reduced risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) risk among both diabetics and non-diabetics. Weekly consumption of alcohol reduced CHD risk by one-third (33%) while daily consumption reduced the risk by over half (58%) among diabetics. For non-diabetics, weekly consumption reduced CHD risk by 18% while daily consumption reduced the risk by 39%. 33 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#33)
Light to moderate consumption of alcohol appears to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by as much as 80% among individuals with older-onset diabetes, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. 34 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#34)
The Honolulu Heart Study found a 49% reduction in coronary heart disease among men who drink alcohol in moderation. 35 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#35)
Harvard researchers concluded about coronary heart disease that "Consumption of one or two drinks of beer, wine, or liquor per day has corresponded to a reduction in risk of approximately 20-40%." 36 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#36)
At a scientific conference, researchers from Korea, Italy, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, and the United States reported striking reductions in death among moderate drinkers, with heart disease and total mortality rates about one half or less compared to non-drinkers. 37 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#37)
After over 6,000 participants in the Framingham Heart Study were followed for a period of six to ten years, researchers found that "when consumed in moderation, alcohol appears to protect against congestive heart failure." 38 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#38)
After reviewing the research, Dr. David Whitten reported that "The studies that have been done show pretty clearly that the chances of suffering cardiac death are dramatically reduced by drinking" one or two drinks a day and asserted that "We don't have any drugs that are as good as alcohol."39 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#39)
Based on the medical evidence, noted investigator Dr. Curtis Ellison asserted that "abstinence from alcohol is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease."40 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#40)
The American Heart Association, based on the research evidence, concludes that the “Consumption of one or two drinks per day is associated with a reduction in risk of (coronary heart disease) approximately 30% to 50%.” 41 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#41)read the rest:
http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/AlcoholAndHealth.html
Moderate drinkers tend to have better health and live longer than those who are either abstainers or heavy drinkers. In addition to having fewer heart attacks and strokes, moderate consumers of alcoholic beverages (beer, wine or distilled spirits or liquor) are generally less likely to suffer hypertension or high blood pressure, peripheral artery disease, Alzheimer's disease and the common cold. Sensible drinking also appears to be beneficial in reducing or preventing diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, bone fractures and osteoporosis, kidney stones, digestive ailments, stress and depression, poor cognition and memory, Parkinson's disease, hepatitis A, pancreatic cancer, macular degeneration (a major cause of blindness), angina pectoris, duodenal ulcer, erectile dysfunction, hearing loss, gallstones, liver disease and poor physical condition in elderly.
Some Background
Alcohol has been used medicinally throughout recorded history; its medicinal properties are mentioned 191 times in the Old and New Testaments. 1 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#1) As early as the turn of the century there was evidence that moderate consumption of alcohol was associated with a decrease in the risk of heart attack. 2 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#2) And the evidence of health benefits of moderate consumption has continued to grow over time.
The health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption have long been known. One of the earliest scientific studies on the subject was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1904. 6 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#6)
Reviews of research evidence report a strong, consistent relationship between moderate alcohol consumption and reduction in cardiovascular disease in general and coronary artery disease in particular. 3 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#3) On the basis of its extensive review of research, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) reported that moderate drinkers have the greatest longevity. It also found that moderate drinking is beneficial to heart health, resulting in a sharp decrease in heart disease risk (40%-60%). 4 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#4) This is important because cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, and heart disease kills about one million Americans each and every year. 5 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#5)
The Director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism wrote that "Numerous well-designed studies have concluded that moderate drinking is associated with improved cardiovascular health," and the Nutrition Committee of the American Heart Association reported that "The lowest mortality occurs in those who consume one or two drinks per day."7 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#7) A World Health Organization Technical Committee on Cardiovascular Disease asserted that the relationship between moderate alcohol consumption and reduced death from heart disease could no longer be doubted. 8 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#8) But the benefits are not limited, important as they are, to reductions in heart disease.
Alcohol vs. Lifestyle
Why drink to reduce the risk of heart disease? Wouldn't eating a good diet, exercising, and losing weight do the same thing?
No, it wouldn't. The moderate consumption of alcohol appears to be more effective than most other lifestyle changes that are used to lower the risk of heart and other diseases. For example, the average person would need to follow a very strict low-fat diet, exercise vigorously on a regular basis, eliminate salt from the diet, lose a substantial amount of weight, and probably begin medication in order to lower cholesterol by 30 points or blood pressure by 20 points.
But medical research suggests that alcohol can have a greater impact on heart disease than even these hard-won reductions in cholesterol levels or blood pressure. Only cessation of smoking is more effective.Additionally, other medical research suggests that adding alcohol to a healthful diet is more effective than just following the diet alone. 9 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#9)
Longevity
Moderate drinkers tend to live longer than those who either abstain or drink heavily.
A Harvard study found the risk of death from all causes to be 21% to 28% lower among men who drank alcohol moderately, compared to abstainers. 10 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#10)
A large-scale study in China found that middle-aged men who drank moderately had a nearly 20% lower overall mortality compared to abstainers. 11 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#11)
Harvard's Nurses' Health Study of over 85,000 women found reduced mortality among moderate drinkers. 12 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#12)
A British analysis of 12,000 male physicians found that moderate drinkers had the lowest risk of death from all causes during the 13 year study. 13 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#13)
A large study of about 88,000 people conducted over a period of ten years found that moderate drinkers were about 27% less likely to die during the period than were either abstainers or heavy drinkers. The superior longevity was largely due to a reduction of such diseases as coronary heart disease, cancer, and respiratory diseases. 14 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#14)
A large study funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that moderate drinking increased the length of life by about 3% among white males. 15 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#15)
A twelve year long prospective study of over 200,000 men found that subjects who had consumed alcohol in moderation were less likely to die than those who abstained from alcohol. 16 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#16)
A study of more than 40,000 people by the Cancer Research Center in Honolulu found that "persons with moderate alcohol intake appear to have a significantly lower risk of dying than nondrinkers.” 17 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#17)
An analysis of the 89,299 men in the Physicians' Health Study over a period of five and one-half years found that those who drink alcohol in moderation tend to live longer than those who either abstain or drink heavily. 18 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#18)
An Italian study of 1,536 men aged 45-65 found that about two (2) years of life were gained by moderate drinkers (1-4 drinks per day) in comparison with occasional and heavy drinkers. 19 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#19)
A study of 2,487 adults aged 70-79 years, who were followed for an average period of over five and one-half years, found that all-cause mortality was significantly lower in light to moderate drinkers than in abstainers or occasional drinkers (those who drank <1 drink per week). 20 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#20)Healthier Lives
Moderate drinkers tend to enjoy better health than do either abstainers or healthy drinkers.
A nation-wide survey in the U.S. revealed that daily moderate drinkers experienced significantly less acute hospitalization. 21 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#21)
A nine year study of predictors of good health found moderate alcohol consumption to be associated with the most favorable health scores. 22 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#22)
A nation-wide Canadian study found moderate drinkers who consumed alcohol daily to have 15% less disability than the general population. 23 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#23)
A Dutch study found that moderate drinkers under stress were less likely to be absent from work than were either abstainers or heavy drinkers. 24 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#24)Heart Attacks
Moderate drinkers are also less likely to suffer heart attacks than are abstainers or heavy drinkers.
Harvard researchers have identified the moderate consumption of alcohol as a proven way to reduce coronary heart disease risk. 25 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#25)
http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/images/UcurveChart.gifAn exhaustive review of all major heart disease studies found that "Alcohol consumption is related to total mortality in a U-shaped manner, where moderate consumers have a reduced total mortality compared with total non-consumers and heavy consumers." 26 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#26)
A National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism study asserts that "The totality of evidence on moderate alcohol and CHD (coronary heart disease) supports a judgment of a cause-effect relationship... there are cardioprotective benefits associated with responsible, moderate alcohol intake." 27 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#27)
An extensive review of recent medical research by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that, with few exceptions, studies from at least 20 countries around the world demonstrate a 20- to 40-percent lower coronary heart disease CHD incidence among drinkers compared to nondrinkers. Moderate drinkers exhibit lower rates of CHD-related mortality than either heavy drinkers or abstainers. 28 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#28)
A study of 18,455 males from the Physicians Health Study revealed that those originally consuming one drink per week or less who increased their consumption to six drinks per week or less has a 29% reduction in CVD risk compared to those who did not increase their consumption. Men originally consuming 1-6 drinks per week who increased their consumption moderately has a 15% decrease in CVD risk compared to those who made no change. 29 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#29)
The Harvard Health Professionals Follow-Up Study of over 44,000 males found moderate alcohol consumption to be associated with a 37% reduction in coronary disease. 30 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#30)
A British study of women found moderate consumption of alcohol to be associated with lower levels of cardiovascular risk factors. 31 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#31)
A study of over 5,000 women with type 2 diabetes mellitus by Harvard researchers found that coronary heart disease rates "were significantly lower in women who reported moderate alcohol intake than in those who reported drinking no alcohol." Women who drank more than 5 grams (about half a glass) a day reduced their risk of CHD (fatal or nonfatal) by more than half. 32 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#32)
In a study of nearly 88,000 men, Harvard researchers found that drinking reduced risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) risk among both diabetics and non-diabetics. Weekly consumption of alcohol reduced CHD risk by one-third (33%) while daily consumption reduced the risk by over half (58%) among diabetics. For non-diabetics, weekly consumption reduced CHD risk by 18% while daily consumption reduced the risk by 39%. 33 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#33)
Light to moderate consumption of alcohol appears to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by as much as 80% among individuals with older-onset diabetes, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. 34 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#34)
The Honolulu Heart Study found a 49% reduction in coronary heart disease among men who drink alcohol in moderation. 35 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#35)
Harvard researchers concluded about coronary heart disease that "Consumption of one or two drinks of beer, wine, or liquor per day has corresponded to a reduction in risk of approximately 20-40%." 36 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#36)
At a scientific conference, researchers from Korea, Italy, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, and the United States reported striking reductions in death among moderate drinkers, with heart disease and total mortality rates about one half or less compared to non-drinkers. 37 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#37)
After over 6,000 participants in the Framingham Heart Study were followed for a period of six to ten years, researchers found that "when consumed in moderation, alcohol appears to protect against congestive heart failure." 38 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#38)
After reviewing the research, Dr. David Whitten reported that "The studies that have been done show pretty clearly that the chances of suffering cardiac death are dramatically reduced by drinking" one or two drinks a day and asserted that "We don't have any drugs that are as good as alcohol."39 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#39)
Based on the medical evidence, noted investigator Dr. Curtis Ellison asserted that "abstinence from alcohol is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease."40 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#40)
The American Heart Association, based on the research evidence, concludes that the “Consumption of one or two drinks per day is associated with a reduction in risk of (coronary heart disease) approximately 30% to 50%.” 41 (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/references/AlcoholAndHealth.html#41)read the rest:
http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/AlcoholAndHealth.html