Alcohol lowers risk of heart disease through effect on lipids and haemostatic factors

Results from observational studies provide strong evidence that people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol have a lower risk of developing coronary heart disease than those who abstain, but some have suggested that this association is spurious. Rimm et al (p 1523) conducted a meta-analysis of all experimental studies of alcohol intake to summarise the effects of alcohol on lipid and haemostatic factors and to explain the inverse association between alcohol intake and risk of coronary disease. With an alcohol intake of 30 g a day the authors project a 24.7% reduction in risk of coronary heart disease mediated through changes in concentrations of high density lipoprotein cholesterol, fibrinogen, and triglyceride.

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Relevant Article

Moderate alcohol intake and lower risk of coronary heart disease: meta-analysis of effects on lipids and haemostatic factors

Eric B Rimm, Paige Williams, Kerry Fosher, Michael Criqui, and Meir J Stampfer
BMJ 1999 319: 1523-1528. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]