Moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages may lower the risk of heart failure

The findings of recent studies suggest that despite the dangers of heavy drinking, moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages may lower the risk of the development of heart failure…..

A group of scientists evaluated the association between moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages and risk for heart failure (HF). They examined 14,629 participants of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study without existing HF at baseline (1987-89) and followed them for 24 years (1). Self-reported alcohol consumption was assessed as the number of drinks/week (1 drink = 14 g of alcohol) at baseline and the cumulative average alcohol intake was calculated in several later assessments during the follow up period. The results showed that men consuming up to 7 drinks/week had reduced risk of HF relative to abstainers. This effect was similar but less definite in women. In the higher drinking categories, the risk of HF was not significantly different from abstainers, neither in men nor in women. These findings suggest that despite the risks of heavy drinking, modest consumption of alcoholic beverages in early-middle age may be associated with a lower risk for HF.

In addition, the results of a recent meta-analysis with more than 202,000 participants and 6211 cases of HF further provide a strong support that moderate drinking of alcoholic beverages (< 14 drinks/week) is associated with a reduced risk of HF (2).

(1)     Gonçalves A, et al. Alcohol consumption and risk of heart failure: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Eur Heart J. 2015 Jan 19. pii: ehu514. [Epub ahead of print]

For more information about this article, read the scientific abstract here.

(2)    Larsson SC et al, Alcohol consumption and risk of Heart failure: a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies, 2015, Europ J Heart Failure, doi10.1002/ejhf.228

For more information about this article, read the scientific abstract here.