Study supports low alcohol intake for heart health
A study looking at the relative risks and harms associated with moderate alcohol consumption has concluded that a small amount of alcohol is likely to be beneficial for most people.Experts at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Canada carried out a meta-analysis of existing research, including 44 studies on heart disease.
Dr Juergen Rehm, director of social and epidemiological research at CAMH, concluded that the situation is "complicated", as although low levels of alcohol intake can have a protective effect on the heart, this cannot be assumed for all drinkers.
The expert revealed there was "substantial" variation in the effect of alcohol consumption across the studies, with the protective association varying by sex and individual drinking patterns.
He also noted that alcohol consumption can have an adverse impact on the risk of other diseases, including cancers.
"Even one drink a day increases risk of breast cancer, for example," Dr Rehm pointed out. "However, with as little as one drink a day, the net effect on mortality is still beneficial. After this, the net risk increases with every drink."
The study authors, whose findings are published in Addiction journal, said that more research is needed into the overall benefits and risks of average alcohol consumption.
But they concluded: "Findings from this study support current low-risk drinking guidelines, if these recognise lower drinking limits for women."
Meanwhile, a study by scientists at Boston University Medical Centre suggests that people with a family history of bowel cancer who consume four units or more of alcohol per day face an increased risk of developing the disease.
