More than 100 prospective studies show an inverse association between moderate drinking and risk of heart attack, ischemic (clot-caused) stroke, peripheral vascular disease, sudden cardiac death, and death from all cardiovascular causes. (1) The effect is fairly consistent, corresponding to a 25 percent to 40 percent reduction in risk. Here are the results of some large prospective studies of alcohol consumption and cardiovascular disease.
| Name, Participants | Duration |
Association with Moderate Alcohol Consumption* |
| Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk cohort: 97,432 men and women aged 40–79 |
10 years | 12%–20% decreased risk of all-cause mortality in men and women who consumed less than 23 grams per day of alcohol; heavy drinking increased the risk of all-cause mortality (2) |
| Health Professionals Follow-up Study: 38,077 male health professionals aged 40–75 | 12 years | 35% reduced risk of myocardial infarction (3) |
| Eastern France cohort: 34,014 men and women |
10–15 years |
25–30% reduced risk of cardiovascular death (4) |
| Cancer Prevention Study II: 489,626 men and women aged 30–104 |
9 years | 30–40% reduced risk of cardiovascular death; mortality from all causes increased with heavier drinking, particularly among adults under age 60 (5, 6) |
| Physicians' Health Study: 22,071 male physicians aged 40–84 |
11 years | 30–35% reduced risk of angina and myocardial infarction, 20–30% reduced risk of cardiovascular death (7) |
| Kaiser Permanente cohort: 123,840 men and women aged 30+ |
10 years | 40% reduction in fatal myocardial infarction, 20% reduction in cardiovascular mortality; 80% increase in fatal hemorrhagic stroke (8) |
| Nurses' Health Study: 85,709 female nurses aged 34–59 |
12 years | 17% lower risk of all-cause mortality; an earlier report showed a 40% reduction in risk of CHD and 70% reduction in risk of ischemic stroke (9) |
* compared with non-drinkers
References
1.Goldberg IJ, Mosca L, Piano MR, Fisher EA. AHA Science Advisory: Wine and your heart: a science advisory for healthcare professionals from the Nutrition Committee, Council on Epidemiology and Prevention, and Council on Cardiovascular Nursing of the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2001; 103:472–5.
2. Lin Y, Kikuchi S, Tamakoshi A, et al. Alcohol consumption and mortality among middle-aged and elderly Japanese men and women. Ann Epidemiol. 2005; 15:590-97.
3. Mukamal KJ, Conigrave KM, Mittleman MA, et al. Roles of drinking pattern and type of alcohol consumed in coronary heart disease in men. N Engl J Med. 2003; 348:109-18.
4. Renaud SC, Gueguen R, Siest G, Salamon R. Wine, beer, and mortality in middle-aged men from eastern France. Arch Intern Med. 1999; 159:1865-70.
5. Thun MJ, Peto R, Lopez AD, et al. Alcohol consumption and mortality among middle-aged and elderly U.S. adults. N Engl J Med. 1997; 337:1705-14.
6. Camargo CA, Jr., Hennekens CH, Gaziano JM, Glynn RJ, Manson JE, Stampfer MJ. Prospective study of moderate alcohol consumption and mortality in US male physicians. Arch Intern Med. 1997; 157:79-85.
7. Camargo CA, Jr., Stampfer MJ, Glynn RJ, et al. Prospective study of moderate alcohol consumption and risk of peripheral arterial disease in US male physicians. Circulation. 1997; 95:577-80.
8. Klatsky AL, Armstrong MA, Friedman GD. Risk of cardiovascular mortality in alcohol drinkers, ex-drinkers and nondrinkers. Am J Cardiol. 1990; 66:1237-42.
9. Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA, Willett WC, Speizer FE, Hennekens CH. A prospective study of moderate alcohol consumption and the risk of coronary disease and stroke in women. N Engl J Med. 1988; 319:267-73.
