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Friday, November 20, 2009
Research showing that very heavy drinking can reduce the risk of heart disease in men has come under fire from scientists who say the study is flawed and should not encourage anyone to drink more.
The controversial Spanish study found that men who drank moderate, high and very high levels of alcohol had a lower risk of heart disease.
Many previous studies have suggested that moderate drinking - usually defined as a drink or two a day - can be a healthy habit, particularly when it comes to heart disease.
But experts have warned that heavy drinking can damage organs and lead to early death.
The study, published in the British Medical Journal assessed the alcohol intake of 15,500 men and 26,000 women aged between 29 and 69, who were asked how much they had drunk in the preceding year.
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People were classed as non-drinkers, former drinkers, low, moderate, high and very high drinkers. The latter drank more than 90 grams of alcohol a day, equivalent to around a dozen drinks.
Following the patients for 10 years and mapping the number of coronary problems they had, researchers said the overall results for men showed that drinking alcohol cut the risk of heart disease by 30 percent, and that heavy drinking cut the risk even more. No significant effect was found in women.
But they warned that, according to the World Health Organization, alcohol causes around 1.8 million deaths every year.
Professor Martin McKee of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: "The relationship between alcohol and heart disease is controversial. People should not be encouraged to drink more."
REUTERSComment -
hmmm I'm in.
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Interesting info pico.
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my heart must be in really good nickComment -
should enter it into the health care bill
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Heavy drinking is `good for heart'
