title: [Alcohol and cardiovascular system: mechanisms of the protective effects].
abstract: Moderate and regularly alcohol consumption reduces death rate from coronary heart disease and thrombotic stroke. This beneficial correlation observed with several alcoholic beverages seems to be mainly due to an ethanol effect. However the particular role of microconstituants contained in red wine must be considered. The mechanism of the putative protective effect of alcohol intake is mediated through the elevation of HDL cholesterol and through the aintioxydative effect of polyphenolic compounds. In addition, alcohol acts favourably on platelets agregation, fibrinolysis and several other coagulation parameters. Despite these explanations are yet speculative and there is no causal relation between alcohol and reduced coronary death, epidemiological data are consistent with the belief that daily consumption of one or two glasses of an alcoholic beverage has salutary effect on health.
authors.affiliation: Service de médecine interne et nutrition, CHU, hôpital Hautepierre, avenue Molière, 67098 Strasbourg, France. Jean-Louis.Schlienger@chru-strasbourg.fr
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Schlienger
mesh_terms: D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000187:drug effects; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000517:prevention & control; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D014920:Wine
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D000431:Ethanol
vernacular_title: Alcool et système cardiovasculaire: mécanisme des effets protecteurs.