[Alcohol consumption and coronary disease in men]

It has been recently suggested by many epidemiological studies, and emphasized by a nonspecialistic press, that a moderate alcohol intake may exert a protective role in coronary heart diseases. In our study, by means of a questionnaire, the consumption of alcohol in 100 male patients, less than 70 years old, affected by myocardial infarction and/ or angina pectoris, has been evaluated during a period before and after the admission to our Coronary Care Unit. On the basis of their alcohol intake, patients were divided into five categories: abstainers (8%), daily intake lower than one drink (7%), between one and two drinks (8%) between three and four drinks (46%) and equal or higher than five drinks (31%). In the light of these results, we suggested that, in our region (a country area in the north-east of Italy), there are higher levels of ethanol intake compared to those reported by other authors, that these parameters are only slightly modified by the occurrence of coronary heart diseases and that alcohol consumption, although low and moderate, must be therefore emphasized with extreme caution.