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Alcohol and Cardiovascular Diseases-Do the Consumption Pattern and Dose Make the Difference?
Małgorzata Chudzińska1, Łukasz Wołowiec2, Joanna Banach2
1Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Dębowa 3 Street, 85-626 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
Insights
Excessive alcohol consumption increases mortality from various causes, including cancer and liver disease. While some studies suggest moderate alcohol intake may benefit cardiovascular health, it
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Public Health
- Toxicology
Background:
- Excessive alcohol consumption is a significant social and public health issue, increasing morbidity and mortality rates.
- Alcohol abuse is linked to various health problems, including cancer, accidents, liver cirrhosis, stroke, arrhythmias, hypertension, and heart muscle damage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the complex relationship between alcohol consumption, dose, drinking patterns, and health outcomes, particularly cardiovascular diseases.
- To evaluate the evidence for potential cardiovascular benefits of low-to-moderate alcohol intake versus the overall health risks.
Main Methods:
- Review of population studies and meta-analyses examining alcohol intake and cardiovascular mortality.
- Analysis of dose-response relationships, including U-shaped or J-shaped curves, particularly for ischemic heart disease.
- Consideration of recent research suggesting lifestyle factors mediate apparent benefits of low-to-moderate alcohol consumption.
Main Results:
- A correlation exists between alcohol consumption and increased mortality from cancer, accidents, injuries, and liver cirrhosis.
- Alcohol intake affects cardiovascular health, increasing hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke risk, inducing arrhythmias, and negatively impacting blood pressure and heart muscle.
- While some studies show a U-shaped or J-shaped association between low-to-moderate alcohol intake and cardiovascular mortality (especially ischemic heart disease), recent evidence points to confounding lifestyle factors.
Conclusions:
- Alcohol consumption is associated with numerous health hazards and is not recommended for cardiovascular disease prevention.
- Any reduction in alcohol consumption appears to be beneficial for overall health.
- The perceived cardiovascular benefits of low-to-moderate drinking may be attributable to confounding lifestyle factors rather than alcohol itself.
Abstract:
Excessive consumption of alcohol is not only a social problem, but it also significantly increases the morbidity and mortality rates of many societies. A correlation has been demonstrated between alcohol consumption and increased mortality from cancer, accidents and injuries, liver cirrhosis and other causes. Alcohol abuse increases the incidence of hemorrhagic stroke and the risk of ischemic stroke, induces serious arrhythmias, adversely affects blood pressure and damages the heart muscle. The dose and way of drinking alcohol play a crucial role in assessing whether this drink allows people to maintain health or whether it is a great health and social threat. The beneficial effects of low and moderate doses of alcohol on the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases have been shown in many population studies and meta-analyses in which the effect of U-shaped or J-shaped curves relating alcohol intake to cardiovascular mortality was observed, especially in ischemic heart disease. However, due to the fact that alcohol consumption is associated with many health hazards, it is not recommended to consume it as a preventive action of cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, recent studies suggest that association of low-to-moderate alcohol consumption with the reduction in cardiovascular risk is a result of lifestyle changes and that any reduction in alcohol consumption is in fact beneficial in terms of general health.
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