Q. As a health-conscious “Boomer”, I understand about diet and exercise, but I am confused about alcohol use and heart disease. Some articles seem to say drinking is beneficial, others that it is harmful. Please clarify.
A. This is a timely question as we emerge from the holiday season, because cardiac epidemiologists have long recognised the “Holiday Heart Syndrome” - - an upsurge in heart attacks during periods of celebration with increased alcohol consumption.
A recently-published study in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) casts some interesting light on the question. European researchers compared the effects of “binge drinking” and “moderate drinking” among 10,000 subjects from Ireland and France. (NOTE: “Binge drinking” is defined as 5 drinks for men and 4 for women on one occasion. “Moderate drinking” is 2 drinks per day for men and 1 for women. The type of beverage is not important. Alcohol is alcohol is alcohol.) The study found that binge drinkers, the Irish group had TWICE the risk of heart attack or death as well as other problems related to reduced blood flow.
In short, high level alcohol consumption at sporadic intervals (special occasion binging, if you like) is HARMFUL to heart health, whereas regular, “moderate” drinking is often beneficial. Some cardiologists feel that the key difference is that heavier, ‘episodic’ drinking causes inflammation of the lining of cardiac blood vessels, but “moderate” drinking simply improves blood flow. And so, the issue is HOW you drink.
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