Moderate drinking linked to fewer heart attacks in people with heart disease

Light to moderate drinking may be associated with a decreased risk of heart attack, stroke, angina or death among those with cardiovascular disease, finds a new study led by a UCL researcher. The new BMC Medicine meta-analysis study suggest that drinking up to 105 grams of alcohol per week - equivalent to 13 UK units of alcohol, less than six pints of medium-strength beer or just over one bottle of wine - could potentially confer some protective benefits. Lead author, PhD candidate Chengyi Ding (UCL Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care), said: "Our findings suggest that people with cardiovascular disease may not need to stop drinking in order to prevent additional heart attacks, strokes or angina, but that they may wish to consider lowering their weekly alcohol intake. As alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of developing other illnesses, those with cardiovascular disease who do not drink should not be encouraged to take up drinking." The researchers found that, among people with cardiovascular disease, those who drank up to 15 grams of alcohol per day - equivalent to less than two UK units, with one unit equal to half a pint of medium-strength beer or half a standard glass of wine - had a lower risk of recurrent heart attack, stroke, angina or death, compared to those who did not drink. They also found that those who drank more than 62 grams of alcohol per day - close to eight UK units - did not have an increased risk of recurrent heart attack, stroke, angina or death, compared to those who did not drink alcohol.