Moderate beer consumption and the blood coagulation in patients with coronary artery disease.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the influence of a short period of moderate beer consumption on the status of the thrombolitic activity in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).


METHODS
From 28 patients with two- or three-vessel CAD 22 were randomly assigned to an experimental group (EG) and six to control group (CG). Before and after completion of the study every one of the 28 patients was examined and a wide range of laboratory tests was performed.


METHODS
A University Hospital in Israel.


METHODS
Of the EG, 22 patients consumed 330 mL of beer day-1 (20 g of alcohol) for the 30-day period in addition to the usual antiatherosclerotic diet. Patients of the CG did not consume alcohol beverages.


METHODS
Fibrinogen, prothrombin time (PT), coagulant activity of Factor VII (F VIIc) and Factor VII antigen (F VIIag), and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) levels were studied.


RESULTS
After the investigation a statistically significant decrease was found in F VIIc (P < 0.01) and F VIIag (P < 0.001) and to a lesser extent a decrease in the value of PAI. Fibrinogen and PT remained unchanged in the EG also.


CONCLUSIONS
Even a short period of moderate beer consumption results in a decrease in thrombogenic activity. The only sensitive tests were F VIIc and F VIIag. The decrease in thrombogenic activity may be the main cause of decreased mortality in patients with CAD who consume moderate quantities of alcoholic beverages.
Gorinstein
S
S
School of Pharmacy, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.
Zemser
M
M
Lichman
I
I
Berebi
A
A
Kleipfish
A
A
Libman
I
I
Trakhtenberg
S
S
Caspi
A
A
D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D001515:Beer; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005167:Factor VII / Q000378:metabolism; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010960:Plasminogen Activators / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011517:Prothrombin Time
D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors; D000431:Ethanol; D005167:Factor VII; D005340:Fibrinogen; D010960:Plasminogen Activators