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More than a Glass a day bad for the Blood Vessels

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Although we are informed that a glass of red wine a day may be good for your heart, drinking much more than this seems to promote “plaque” build-up in blood vessels which in turn can lead to a number of cardiac complications, suggest the findings from a study of older adults.

Although we are informed that a glass of red wine a day may be good for your heart, drinking much more than this seems to promote “plaque” build-up in blood vessels which in turn can lead to a number of cardiac complications, suggest the findings from a study of older adults.According to Dr. Kenneth J. Mukamal and colleagues, the few studies that have directly analyzed the relationship between alcohol use and arterial plaque, or atherosclerosis, have yielded inconsistent results, and none specifically looked at the risk in elderly individuals. Mukamal, a biostatistician at the University of Washington in Seattle, and colleagues used data from the Cardiovascular Health Study to further evaluate these associations. The new findings are reported in the medical journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology. Included were 4247 subjects without heart disease or related problems and 1592 with such problems. The subjects were tested with ultrasound to look for atherosclerosis in blood vessels found in the neck. Among subjects without heart disease or related problems, those who drank one to six alcoholic beverages per week had the least amount of atherosclerosis, the authors report. People who didn’t drink at all had slightly more atherosclerosis, but the greatest amount was found in people who consumed 14 or more drinks per week. In subjects with heart disease, consuming 7 to 13 drinks per week was linked with less atherosclerosis than not drinking at all. Once again, however, subjects who drank 14 or more beverages per week showed the most atherosclerosis. These findings are in support of guidelines laid out by the American Geriatrics Society, which counsel “older adults who drink alcohol to consume no more than one drink per day,” Mukamal’s team concludes. (Source: Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, Reuters Health, Dec 2003.


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Posted On: 22 December, 2003
Modified On: 7 December, 2013

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