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Obese
people can reduce their risk of heart disease by consuming
light to moderate amounts of alcohol in general and red wine
in particular, according to a study reported in the July issue
of the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Australian
researchers found that obese people who drank alcohol in these
amounts had lower concentrations of homocysteine, a blood
protein that at high levels can increase one's risk of developing
heart disease.
"The
advantages of light to moderate alcohol consumption in reducing
cardiovascular risk are very powerful," study author
Dr. John Dixon, of Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, told Medical
Week. "It is important to realize that the dose required
for benefit is very low two to 10 standard drinks a week.
A glass of red wine most days would be sufficient to obtain
all the benefits."
Dixon
and his colleagues at the hospital obtained self-reported
alcohol histories from 350 obese men and women as part of
an assessment they underwent before having their obesity treated
surgically.
After
gathering information about the amount, frequency, timing
and type of alcohol that the participants consumed, the researchers
measured their subjects' homocysteine levels.
The researchers
found that study participants who consumed up to 100 grams
of any type of alcohol a week had serum homocysteine concentrations
that were 11 percent lower than those who never or rarely
drank alcohol.
Red wine
by itself turned out to be an independent predictor for lower
homocysteine concentrations, according to the researchers.
Study participants who drank up to 100 grams of red wine had
serum concentrations of homocysteine that were 17 percent
lower than non-alcohol consumers, 13 percent lower than beer
and spirit consumers and 11 percent lower than white wine
drinkers.
Although
the researchers are not sure why homocysteine concentrations
are lower in red wine consumers, Dixon explained that it is
likely related to the non-alcohol components of red wine such
as the polyphenols reducing oxidation and metabolic demand.
He added that this area needs more research.
Dixon
said high-risk patients such as those with Type 2 diabetes
or with a family history of coronary artery disease should
consider using red wine as a therapeutic agent.
"If
the benefits of red wine came in a tablet it would be one
of the most prescribed medications," Dixon observed.
However,
Dixon said any suggestions that alcohol consumption is beneficial
must be taken with caution. "As with other therapeutic
agents there are precautions and contraindications,"
he said. "A past history of alcoholism or other addictive
substance abuse or taking a medication that interacted with
alcohol would be a contraindication. Those with a family history
of alcoholism may be seen as a relative contraindication."
Source:
Heart
Disease Week of August 4, 2002
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