A new study suggests reducing alcohol intake can lower one's risk of developing cardiovascular diseases by 10 percent.
Juan P. Casas, senior author of the study and professor of epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, worked with his colleagues to review 50 previous probes examining the drinking habits of at least 260,000 people. Their analysis revealed those who consume less alcohol tend to have a healthier cardiovascular state, as indicated by their lower body mass index and normal blood pressure.
"In our study, we saw a link between a reduced consumption of alcohol and improved cardiovascular health, regardless of whether the individual was a light, moderate or heavy drinker," Prof. Casas said in a press release.
Researchers determined participants' alcohol consumption levels by focusing on a gene variant. This genetic variant, called alcohol dehydrogenase 1B, is responsible for absorbing alcohol at a varying pace for different people, and dictates how severely and quickly a person drinking alcohol will react physically to the drink.
The team measured the prevalence of this genetic variant, then compared the results with participants' BMI and blood pressure. Analysts saw a direct link between lower alcohol intake and improved cardiovascular health.
Studies about the long-term effects of alcohol are challenging to conduct because individuals' alcohol consumption varies over time. The researchers chose this genetic approach to eliminate the challenges encountered by randomized trials and to make the study less prone to limitations.
"In our study we approach the question from a different perspective using a Mendelian randomization study design, and find quite different results. We found that people who tend to drink lower amounts of alcohol on average had lower risk of coronary heart disease at all levels of alcohol consumption, including amongst those who were light-to-moderate drinkers," said study co-author Dr. Caroline Dale.
Further details of this study were published in the July 13 issue of the British Medical Journal.
