Drinking alcohol in moderation is associated with a lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, according to new data scheduled to be presented May 17 at ACC.21, the American College of Cardiology’s 70th annual scientific session.
The study’s authors tracked data from more than 53,000 patients who participated in the Mass General Brigham Biobank healthcare survey. Nearly 60% of patients were women, and the average age was 57.2 years old. More than 700 patients also underwent PET imaging, and the findings showed that individuals who drank alcohol in moderation—up to two drinks per day for men, up to one drink per day for women—showed fewer signs of stress-related brain activity.
“We found that stress-related activity in the brain was higher in non-drinkers when compared with people who drank moderately, while people who drank excessively (more than 14 drinks per week) had the highest level of stress-related brain activity,” lead author Kenechukwu Mezue, MD, a fellow in nuclear cardiology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, said in a prepared statement. “The thought is that moderate amounts of alcohol may have effects on the brain that can help you relax, reduce stress levels and, perhaps through these mechanisms, lower the incidence of cardiovascular disease.”
However, Mezue added, it’s important to also remember that alcohol “has several important side effects, including an increased risk of cancer, liver damage and dependence.”
One limitation to the team’s study is that alcohol consumption was self-reported by each patient, meaning the numbers may not be accurate. Also, the data all comes from a single center in Boston, so the findings may not apply to other patient populations.
More information on ACC.21 is available here.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.