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Alcohol can
benefit the hearts of new drinkers
Newswise — A Medical
University of South Carolina’s (MUSC)
Department of Family Medicine study
concluded that people who began moderately
consuming alcohol in middle-age experience a
quick benefit of lower rates of
cardiovascular disease morbidity with no
change in mortality after four years.
In addition, the study
found that those who consumed alcohol for
the heart health benefits rarely drank more
than recommended amounts.
The study has been
published in the March issue of the American
Journal of Medicine, and was conducted by
MUSC’s Dana E. King M.D., Arch G. Mainous
III, Ph.D, and Mark E. Geesey.
“Most people are aware
that moderate alcohol use can be part of a
healthy lifestyle, yet current guidelines
caution non-drinkers against starting to
drink in middle age,” said King, lead author
of the study.
“We wanted to evaluate whether
adopting moderate alcohol consumption in
middle-age would lower cardiovascular risk.
"We were excited to find that moderate
alcohol consumption, or one to six servings
a week, lowered cardiovascular risk for our
participants.”
In contrast to a
recently published study in the British
Public Library of Science journal, PLoS
Medicine, MUSC’s study showed no increase in
blood pressure for participants at moderate
consumption levels (two drinks per day or
fewer for men, one drink per day or fewer
for women) during the four years of the
study.
New moderate drinkers had a 38% lower
chance of developing cardiovascular disease
than did their persistently non-drinking
counterparts.
This difference remained after
adjustment for demographic and
cardiovascular risk factors.
About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical
University of South Carolina is the oldest
medical school in the South.
Today, MUSC
continues the tradition of excellence in
education, research, and patient care.
MUSC
educates and trains more than 3,000 students
and residents, and has nearly 10,000
employees, including 1,300 faculty members.
As the largest non-federal employer in
Charleston, the university and its
affiliates have collective annual budgets in
excess of $1.3 billion.
MUSC operates a
600-bed medical center, which includes a
nationally recognized Children's Hospital
and a leading Institute of Psychiatry.
For
more information on academic information or
clinical services, visit
www.musc.edu or
www.muschealth.com.
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