Re: Association between alcohol and cardiovascular disease: Mendelian randomisation analysis based on individual participant data
Damage from any alcohol?
It is very welcome news that Michael Holmes, Caroline Dale and colleagues have found that individuals with a genetic variant associated with non-drinking and lower alcohol consumption had a more favourable cardiovascular profile and a reduced risk of coronary heart disease than those without the genetic variant.1
In April 2009 http://www.bmj.com/content/338/bmj.b1191/rapid-responses2
GP Dominic Horne wrote that the Prime Minister did not wish to punish the 'sensible majority of moderate drinkers' by raising the price of alcohol. This was in the same week that fuel duty increased by 2p per litre (not an April Fool's joke as he first suspected on hearing the news). In today's Britain most have little option but to use private transport. No-one has to drink alcohol.”
I asked, “Who are the Prime Minister's sensible moderate drinkers?” The Million Women Study3 revealed that low to moderate alcohol consumption in women increases the risk of certain cancers. For every additional drink regularly consumed per day, the increase in incidence in women up to age 75 years in developed countries is estimated to be 15 cancers per 1000 women including 11 breast cancers.
I have several more RRs objecting to the flawed interpretation of the famous “J” curve in epidemiological studies that moderate drinking was beneficial for health. It was clear in migraine patients that most had realised that red wine gave then headaches and avoided drinking red wine in particular. Migraine patients are also more likely to have zinc and magnesium deficiencies making them less healthy. It was also clear from investigating preconception couples with fertility problems that men drinking any alcohol were likely to have more abnormal sperm and deficiencies in essential fatty acids in their red cells which then normalised with avoidance and tailored nutritional supplements.
As usual far too much reliance has been placed on flawed epidemiological studies or flawed interpretations of results and not enough on investigations of cell chemistry to see what is really happening. There is also the auto-brewery syndrome in which patients suffer from increases in gut fermentation due to bacteria or fungal infections and produce alcohol in response to a sugar challenge causing depression, headaches and tiredness.4
1 Holmes MV, Dale C et al. Association between alcohol and cardiovascular disease: Mendelian randomisation analysis based on individual participant data
BMJ 2014;349:g4164
2 http://www.bmj.com/content/338/bmj.b1191/rapid-responses
3 Allen NE, Beral V, Casabomme D, et al. Moderate alcohol intake and cancer incidence in women. JNatlCancerInst 2009;101:282-3.”
4 Hunniset A, Howard J, Davies S. Gut fermentation (or the “autobrewery” syndrome) a clinical test with initial observations and discussion. J Nutr Med 1990;1: 33-8.
Damage from any alcohol?
It is very welcome news that Michael Holmes, Caroline Dale and colleagues have found that individuals with a genetic variant associated with non-drinking and lower alcohol consumption had a more favourable cardiovascular profile and a reduced risk of coronary heart disease than those without the genetic variant.1
In April 2009 http://www.bmj.com/content/338/bmj.b1191/rapid-responses2
GP Dominic Horne wrote that the Prime Minister did not wish to punish the 'sensible majority of moderate drinkers' by raising the price of alcohol. This was in the same week that fuel duty increased by 2p per litre (not an April Fool's joke as he first suspected on hearing the news). In today's Britain most have little option but to use private transport. No-one has to drink alcohol.”
I asked, “Who are the Prime Minister's sensible moderate drinkers?” The Million Women Study3 revealed that low to moderate alcohol consumption in women increases the risk of certain cancers. For every additional drink regularly consumed per day, the increase in incidence in women up to age 75 years in developed countries is estimated to be 15 cancers per 1000 women including 11 breast cancers.
I have several more RRs objecting to the flawed interpretation of the famous “J” curve in epidemiological studies that moderate drinking was beneficial for health. It was clear in migraine patients that most had realised that red wine gave then headaches and avoided drinking red wine in particular. Migraine patients are also more likely to have zinc and magnesium deficiencies making them less healthy. It was also clear from investigating preconception couples with fertility problems that men drinking any alcohol were likely to have more abnormal sperm and deficiencies in essential fatty acids in their red cells which then normalised with avoidance and tailored nutritional supplements.
As usual far too much reliance has been placed on flawed epidemiological studies or flawed interpretations of results and not enough on investigations of cell chemistry to see what is really happening. There is also the auto-brewery syndrome in which patients suffer from increases in gut fermentation due to bacteria or fungal infections and produce alcohol in response to a sugar challenge causing depression, headaches and tiredness.4
1 Holmes MV, Dale C et al. Association between alcohol and cardiovascular disease: Mendelian randomisation analysis based on individual participant data
BMJ 2014;349:g4164
2 http://www.bmj.com/content/338/bmj.b1191/rapid-responses
3 Allen NE, Beral V, Casabomme D, et al. Moderate alcohol intake and cancer incidence in women. JNatlCancerInst 2009;101:282-3.”
4 Hunniset A, Howard J, Davies S. Gut fermentation (or the “autobrewery” syndrome) a clinical test with initial observations and discussion. J Nutr Med 1990;1: 33-8.
Competing interests: No competing interests