Is Alcohol Really Good For Your Heart ?

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Is Alcohol Really Good For Your Heart ?


Benefits of Consuming Alcohol and How ?  Alcohol is thought to be good for the heart when consumed in moderation.  A glass of wine per day for women and two glasses per day for men has been associated with a lower risk of heart attack, stroke, and death due to heart disease.  Of course, drinking excessively cancels these advantages and raises the risk of heart disease.  When compared to persons who drank in moderation, people who did not drink had an elevated risk for eight of the cardiac disorders, ranging from 12 percent to 56 percent. www.cardium.in


 The most common cardiac events, such as heart attack, stroke, and sudden heart death, are among these eight conditions. When compared to persons who drank a glass or two of alcohol a day, non-drinkers had a 33 percent higher chance of unstable angina—a condition in which the heart doesn't get adequate blood flow—and a 56 percent higher risk of dying unexpectedly from heart disease.

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Alcohol Testing  Now, a new study of nearly two million adults published in The BMJ adds to the growing body of data indicating moderate alcohol consumption is beneficial to most cardiac problems — but not all.  In a large cohort of people from the United Kingdom, the researchers looked at the link between alcohol use and 12 different cardiac disorders. When the trial began, none of the participants had any type of cardiovascular illness.

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Difference between over-drinking and under-drinking The findings of the study are particularly intriguing because the researchers divided drinkers into categories that are generally put together in studies of this nature. People who have never drunk, as well as those who have stopped drinking, are sometimes referred to as "non-drinkers"(who may have previously been big drinkers and hence have a higher risk of cardiac disease) This may have exaggerated the risk of non-drinkers; in some circumstances, categorizing people in this way may make drinking alcohol appear healthier than it is.

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Study and Research of Alcohol  The present study doesn't explain why alcohol reduces the risk of some heart problems but not others. However, another study is presently underway to answer that question, according to Steven Bell, a genetic epidemiologist at the University of Cambridge and the study's primary author. He explains, "We're trying to figure out how different risk variables are linked to different diseases." Future research will examine whether different types of alcohol have distinct effects on the risk of heart diseases, such as wine vs beer or spirits.  Meanwhile, Bell believes the findings should reassure consumers who use a few glasses of alcohol every week. It shouldn't, however, compel people who don't drink to start doing so in order to avoid heart disease. He claims that there are safer ways to reduce the risk of liver disease than drinking alcohol, such as stopping smoking, exercising regularly, and eating a balanced diet. www.cardium.in


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