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Updated: Jun 19, 2026
05:26
Postconditioning with Lactate-enriched Blood for Cardioprotection in ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Published on: May 28, 2019
Alcohol cardio-protection has been talked up
Doug Sellman1, Jennie Connor, Geoffrey Robinson
1Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, PO Box 4345, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand.
The New Zealand Medical Journal
|October 24, 2009
Summary
Alcohol
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Health
- Alcohol Research
- Medical Literature Analysis
Background:
- Historical promotion of alcohol as a health tonic.
- Extensive medical literature over 30 years investigates alcohol's role in coronary heart disease.
- Previous reviews and meta-analyses suggest potential cardiovascular benefits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically evaluate the evidence for alcohol's cardioprotective effects.
- To assess the influence of industry funding on research findings.
- To re-examine alcohol's classification as a recreational drug.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of major literature reviews and meta-analyses.
- Analysis of publications from the mid-1980s to the present.
- Consideration of potential industry bias in research interpretation.
Main Results:
- The purported health benefits of alcohol consumption are increasingly questionable.
- Evidence suggests a potential exaggeration of alcohol's cardioprotective properties.
- The influence of the alcohol industry mirrors that of the pharmaceutical industry in research promotion.
Conclusions:
- Alcohol's role as a cardioprotective agent is debatable and requires critical assessment.
- The potential risks of alcohol as a recreational drug should be emphasized.
- Claims of alcohol's cardiovascular benefits warrant caution due to potential industry influence.
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