From Alcohol Issues Insights Update #23 July, 2007
Further Evidence Light Drinking Extends Life
A just-reported Dutch study found that "long-term, light alcohol intake of less than or equal to [1.5 drinks] per day compared to no alcohol intake was associated with a 36% lower relative risk of all-cause death and a 34% lower relative risk of cardiovascular death." Light-moderate wine drinkers experienced the greatest benefit. Their life expectancy was 3.8 years higher compared to abstainers. Key: this was a 40-year study of men born between 1900 and 1920; drinking rates were measured 7 times over the 40 years. The authors: "One can speculate that a protective effect of light alcohol intake could be due to an increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, or to a reduction in blood clotting, due to an inhibition of platelet aggregation."
From Alcohol Issues Insights. Vol. 23 No. 10, October, 2006
Another Expansion of Moderation's Benefits; Less Depression Among Young Adults
Most of moderate drinking's key beneficial effects - reduced cardiovascular disease, improved cognition, stronger bones - has shown up among middle-aged and older adults. That's one reason policymakers and practitioners shy away from broad recommendations to drink. But a new international study - covering nearly 16,000 university students in 20 countries - found that young adult (age 17-30) moderate drinkers were less likely to report symptoms of depression than non-drinkers or heavy drinkers.
The UK-based authors used two measures of moderate drinking, one based on number of drinks consumed per occasion and one based on number of drinks consumed in the 2 weeks prior to filling out the survey. To measure depression they used a "short (13 item) Beck Depression Inventory." They also controlled for several key potentially confounding factors: living arrangements (at home or at school), self-reported health and socio-economic status. Regardless of the moderation measure, the authors found that "fewer moderate drinkers than nondrinkers had depression levels above threshold, whereas nondrinkers and heavy drinkers did not differ." Nondrinkers were 20-25% more likely to be at risk for elevated depression levels than moderate drinkers.
Once again the key finding here was a potential benefit (no causal link was found) among a young (average age 20.5 years) international sample. Reviewing this finding in the context of previous research on depression and moderate consumption, the authors concluded: "The results suggest that the relationship is present across a range of cultures and in young as well as middle-aged adults."
From the Archives of Internal Medicine. Vol. 166 No. 19, October 23, 2006
Even in men already at low risk on the basis of body mass index, physical activity, smoking, and diet, moderate alcohol intake is associated with lower risk for myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack).
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From the Archives of Internal Medicine. Vol. 166 No. 14, July 24, 2006
Light to moderate alcohol consumption was associated with
significantly lower rates of cardiac events and longer survival, independent of its anti-inflammatory effect.
A study of 2487 subjects, aged 70 to 79 years, found that those who consumed 1-7 drinks/week had a lower risk of death during the 5 year study.
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