Moderate Drinking 'May Not Be Good For You'

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 12-2-2005 | Nic Fleming

[blam]

Moderate drinking 'may not be good for you'

By Nic Fleming, Science Correspondent
(Filed: 02/12/2005)

Drinking in moderation may not be good for you after all, scientists said yesterday.

Previous research has suggested that light to moderate alcohol consumption protects the heart.

One study suggested drinking the equivalent of up to two pints of ordinary strength beer or three glasses of wine can reduce heart attack risk by a quarter.

However, writing in today's issue of The Lancet, Dr Rod Jackson and colleagues from the University of Auckland in New Zealand, suggest the apparent protective effect of alcohol may be largely due to poor-quality research.

They conclude that any benefit from light to moderate drinking is probably small and unlikely to outweigh any harm to health.

Research pointing to the protective effect of alcohol was first published in the 1970s and 1980s.

These early observations were confirmed by a meta-analysis, the pooling of findings from a number of different studies, which indicated a 20-25 per cent reduction in heart disease risk linked to light drinking.

But the Auckland researchers point out that these studies were not randomised to avoid confounding errors.

For example, people who stop drinking because of heart problems may have be misclassified as "never drinkers" in the studies.

Earlier this year a study of 200,000 American adults found that 27 of 30 cardiovascular risk factors were significantly more common in non-drinkers than light to moderate drinkers. Such risk factors, already present in study participants, could sway the results, it is suggested.

Dr Jackson wrote: "Any coronary protection from light to moderate drinking will be very small and unlikely to outweigh the harms. While moderate to heavy drinking is probably coronary-protective, any benefit will be overwhelmed by the known harms.

''If so, the public health message is clear. Do not assume there is a window in which the health benefits of alcohol are greater than the harms - there is probably no free lunch."

[RichInOC]

It might not be. But one hundred percent of teetotalers...die anyway.

[Cementjungle]

Fine, heavy drinking it is then

I like the way you think!

Time for a JD!

[Billthedrill]

Clearly a great deal more research is needed. I'm doing my part for science, because I'm just that kind of selfless guy.

[Drammach]

Okay, but will light drinking hurt you?

So it doesn't help as much as they thought..
I don't really care about that... It's too bad, but hey, tough..

Just tell me that a little wine at Christmas and New Years doesn't hurt you..
I'll be fine..
Really..

[ExtremeUnction]

Don't care one bit for martinis (and maybe they're not a big thing on the Left Coast), but... please elaborate?

Martinis are OK (I drink vodka martinis, not gin). But I prefer a good vodka on the rocks. Who needs the Vermouth??

[danmar]

They conclude that any benefit from light to moderate drinking is probably small and unlikely to outweigh any harm to health.

My Grand Mother expired when she was about 105 Years old(nature call, you know!)
The Ol'Lady had a BIG cup of whiskey every day and smoked for about 78 Years. Nasty smokes you understand;

Those so called scientists, need to get a real life, and stop waisting tax payer's money with junk science.

[gcruse]

Your heart may thank you, but your liver will put a whoopi cushion on your seat.

[midwyf]

That may depend on your definition of "moderate". When your liver gets big enough to hang in your boots, it ain't good for you, and that means bad for you.

[avg_freeper]

"However, writing in today's issue of The Lancet, Dr Rod Jackson and colleagues from the University of Auckland in New Zealand, suggest the apparent protective effect of alcohol may be largely due to poor-quality research."

Th scientists who, whom, no definitely who (hick) peppered the earlier papers were completely soused an' have been all sacked and replecaterated^* by an entirely new well marinated group of resherch, reshy, nerds.  

 

^* Free Republic's spell checker was peachy king with that.

[angelanddevil2]

I drink half a glass of wine during dinner about 4 times a week. And my party drink is whiskey on the rocks. Too bad I don't party a whole lot!. Ah! and a little bit of Baileys on my coffe in a cold, mellow Sunday afternoon.

[TChad]

Okay, but will light drinking hurt you?

Social drinking apparently does affect the brain's ability to perform certain complex tasks.

Here's a 112 page study in a PDF file, if you are interested.

http://igitur-archive.library.uu.nl/dissertations/2005-0118-121611/full.pdf

[Monti Cello]

Oh well - sucks for me!

[Kirkwood]

[popdonnelly]

They probably believe in global warming, too.

[mysterio]

Actually, I just got a physical (blood test) for all of that, and my liver is going strong. I know it's not a ticket to go overboard, however. I just hit my 30s, and that's the time to quit everything fun you did in your 20s. I'm choosing to moderate my 20s. So I lost a bunch of weight and cut back on the vices. Unfortunately, the tobacco is proving much harder to moderate than drinking.

[Calvin Locke]

$4 martini lunches?

Perhaps a reference to Jimmy Carter's war on business expenses?

Carter was "against three martini lunches" for sumpin' or another. Maybe being a baptist? More likely an attempted
diversion from the malaise he was inflicting on the country.

And the Iran Hostage problem he created too.

[southernnorthcarolina]

I remember when I first heard the "drinking in moderation may have positive effects" theory -- a couple of decades ago, if I recall correctly.

The guy on the radio began a story with something like this: "New studies indicate that moderate consumption of alcohol may be beneficial to your health. Three or four drinks..."

I was pleased to hear the news...

...until the guy on the radio continued "...per week may be good for you..."