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Three studies on alcohol
Wine May Help Your Heart But May Also Increase
Cancer Risk
Wine better than other drinks and women get more
benefit than men
Feb. 1, 2005 Three new reports on the health
effects of drinking alcohol conclude wine provides more cardiovascular
benefits than other alcoholic drinks, although slightly more for women
than men, but consumption of alcohol increases the risk of several types
of cancer.
The articles are part of a series of papers in an
open forum on wine, alcohol and cardiovascular risk and are published in
the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
Cancer Risk
"Moderate alcohol drinking, less than 25 grams per
day, has a favorable role on cardiovascular disease risk," states
Professor Carlo La Vecchia, co-author of one article. "[However] it is
associated with increased risk of cancers of the upper digestive tract
and larynx, and also of the intestines, liver, and breast."
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The article lists primary liver cancer, cancers of
the female breast and of the large bowel in both sexes, as being
associated with alcohol drinking. Death from diseases, including
cirrhosis, chronic pancreatitis, hypertension and stroke, are strongly
related to alcohol drinking, according to the author.
The analysis was based on a quantitative review, or
meta-analysis, of 156 different studies, and heavy alcohol drinking was
strongly linked to the diseases noted. The risks are shown to increase
with the amount of alcohol consumed yet the overall evidence does not
determine "whether there is any threshold, below which no effect is
evident."
Benefits for Women
Women see a slightly higher cardiovascular health
benefit over men from alcohol consumption according to twelve separate
studies reviewed for this study. The authors caution, however, more
studies are needed to determine if there are more significant results
from either wine, other spirits or beer.
Our study confirmed the so-called J shape curve:
low to moderate amounts of alcohol reduce cardiovascular risk, while
larger quantities raise it, states Dr. Giovanni de Gaetano,
corresponding author of the article. We did not observe statistically
significant differences between men and women, although a small
advantage of women over men at the lowest amount of alcohol could be
seen.
This study is the first to compare men and women in
relation to alcohol effectiveness in lowering cardiovascular risk. The
article states that the overall moderate effect of wine may be favorable
in postmenopausal women, in whom the protective effect on cardiovascular
events might overcome the risk of breast cancer. Further evidence is
needed to assess this important issue.
Benefits of Wine
Another of the articles determined that drinkers of
wine benefit from its cardio-protective effects, more so than those who
drink beer or other spirits, and may also live longer.
The analysis, encompassing various international
studies, further confirms the agreement among researchers that any
alcohol, in light to moderate intake, puts drinkers at lower risk for
cardiovascular disease and death than non-drinkers.
It is also known from a number of studies that wine drinkers in many
cultures are from a higher socio-economic status and have a better diet
than non-wine drinkers, states Professor Morten Grψnbζk, author of the
article. This may be an important factor adding to the beneficial
results of wine intake. The French are noted to have a relatively low
rate of cardiovascular disease, despite high smoking rates and a typical
high fat diet. The fact that the French consume more wine than
Americans, for example, is a probable reason to explain this so-called
paradox.
According to the article, substances in wine have
been shown to share the characteristics of ethanol, which can help to
prevent blood clotting, in addition to cardio-protective effects.
Additional data revealed benefits from wine with regard to mortality
from cancer, over other alcoholic beverages. Further evidence show that
the disease fighting antioxidants present in fruit and vegetables, are
also present in wine.
About the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis
Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, the official journal of the
International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis, is advancing
science related to the important medical problems of thrombosis,
bleeding disorders and vascular biology through the diffusion and
exchange of information and ideas within the international research
community. The Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis is now available in
print and online.
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