Study found an association for middle-aged people, but experts stress that heavy drinking is never healthy
WebMD News from HealthDay
By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Jan. 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Having a drink each day might help lower a middle-aged person's odds for heart failure, a new study reveals.
The investigation suggests that men in their 40s, 50s and 60s who drink as much as seven comparably sized glasses of wine, beer and/or spirits per week will see their risk for heart failure drop by 20 percent.
For women the associated drop in risk amounted to roughly 16 percent, according to the study published online Jan. 20 in the European Heart Journal.
"These findings suggest that drinking alcohol in moderation does not contribute to an increased risk of heart failure and may even be protective," Dr. Scott Solomon, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, said in a journal news release.
While the study found an association between moderate drinking and a lower risk of heart failure, it wasn't designed to prove cause-and-effect. And the findings shouldn't be used as an excuse to booze it up, the researchers said.
"No level of alcohol intake was associated with a higher risk of heart failure [in the study]," said Solomon, who is also senior physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. But he stressed that "heavy alcohol use is certainly a risk factor for deaths from any cause."
Another expert agreed that moderation is key.
"As we have seen in many studies, moderate alcohol use may be protective," said Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of women and heart disease at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
"Although it would not be recommended as a 'therapy' to protect the heart, it is clear that if alcohol is part of one's life, recommending moderate use is essential for cardiac protection, including the reduction of heart failure," she said.
Heart failure occurs when cardiac muscle is no longer able to sufficiently pump blood. Over 23 million people around the world struggle with the health issue, which has a number of root causes, including prior heart attack, high blood pressure, heart disease, irregular heartbeat, drug use, chemotherapy, and high alcohol consumption.
source : Could a Drink a Day Lower Your Risk for Heart Failure?
