In vino veritas: alcohol and heart disease.
Numerous epidemiological studies, numbering nearly 100, have documented an inverse association between alcohol consumption and vascular risk. The preponderance of evidence supports an independent beneficial effect of mild-to-moderate alcoholic beverage consumption on risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). However, it is important to remember that observational data cannot prove causation; unmeasured or incompletely controlled confounding factors cannot be excluded. That said, most authorities now attribute a causal role to the relationship: moderate alcohol consumption reduces the risk of CHD, and current research centers on the mechanistic underpinnings and whether patterns of drinking are important. Here, I review the association between alcohol use and CHD risk, explore putative mechanisms, and make recommendations.
Hill
Joseph A
JA
Donald W. Reynolds Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA. joseph.hill@UTsouthwestern.edu
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000266:history; D000818:Animals; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003704:Dementia / Q000517:prevention & control; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors
D000431:Ethanol