A team of researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard conducted an observational analysis of UK Biobank participants to see how different levels of alcohol consumption affect heart health. But according to Science Daily, a large study shows that all levels of alcohol intake are linked to increased cardiovascular disease risk.
More so, genetic evidence suggested that the supposed health benefits of alcohol consumption may be attributed to other lifestyle factors that are common among light and moderate alcohol drinkers.
Alcohol Drinking Does Not Improve Heart Health Even When Taken in Moderation, Study Claims
New Study Debunks Previously Claimed Benefits of Moderate Alcohol Consumption
In the study, titled "Association of Habitual Alcohol Intake With Risk of Cardiovascular Disease" published in the JAMA Open Network, researchers revealed that moderate drinking does not have benefits for heart health. Instead, alcohol consumption increases the risk of cardiac risk.
Forbes reported that the team looked at the health data of 371,463 participants via UK Biobank, wherein the average age of participants is 57, and consumed about nine drinks per week. Around one-third of the participants had hypertension and less than half were men.
Using the data gathered from 2006 to 2016, the team found that light drinkers who drink 0-8 drinks per week and moderate drinkers who drink between 8-15 drinks per week were healthier than heavy drinkers who drink between 15-24 drinks per week and abusive drinkers who have more than 24 drinks per week.
The team concluded that there is no level of drinking that does not increase heart disease risk. Dr. Krishna G. Aragam, a preventive cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an author of the study, said that the more alcoholic drink a person consumes, the higher their risk is.
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Genetic Predisposition to Alcohol Consumption
According to the New York Times, the team also looked into the genetic variants that predispose a person to become a heavy drinker. By identifying these gene variants, they were able to study how it relates to alcohol consumption.
Researchers can assign people randomly into the group to abstain or drink at varying levels and ask those with gene variants whether they have more heart disease than those with variants related to lower consumption.
Statistical analysis showed an exponential curve of risk with gene variants suggests that they drink more and tend to develop cardiovascular disease as the number of drinks increases. Then it rises significantly when people got into abusive drinking.
Lifestyle Choices Affect Heart Health More in Moderate Drinkers
As Forbes reported, any levels of alcohol drinking increase cardiovascular disease risk. In other words, lifestyle choices contribute to heart health and not light or moderate alcohol consumption.
Proper exercise, a balanced diet, and a lack of smoking in moderate drinkers affect their heart health more than the level of their alcohol consumption.
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