Dec 6, 2005

Alcohol Heart Disease Link

Many who drink alcohol justify the use of alcohol to the beneficial effects of alcohol in prevention of coronary artery disease. More than a dozen previously published studies have demonstrated a consistent, strong, dose-response relation between increasing alcohol consumption and decreasing incidence of CHD. The protective effect of alcohol is similar in men and women and is present irrespective of the geographic location and ethnic groups. Studies suggest that consumption of one or two drinks per day is associated with a reduction in risk of approximately 30% to 50%.

Studies of coronary narrowing at cardiac catheterization or autopsy show a reduction in atherosclerosis in persons who consume moderate amounts of alcohol. This protective effect of alcohol is independent of other factors like diet and cigarette smoking.

So far good! A new research suggests that things may not be as fruity as above. Researchers from New Zealand say that the harmful effects of alcohol may offset any gain in benefit in coronary artery disease. They say that drinking a glass or two of wine a day may not be such a good idea. Their findings are published in the latest issue of the journal Lancet.

These researchers claim that past studies that showed beneficial effects of alcohol are flawed.

Indeed, there is more evidence that heavier drinking provides the most heart protection - alcoholics have relatively 'clean' arteries they say. But overdrinking may have its own health hazards including damage to the liver and development of cirrhosis. These researchers are warning not assume there is a window in which the health benefits of alcohol are greater than the harms. The health risks of alcohol definitely outweigh the risks the authors say.

The researchers conclude: The good news is that people can still enjoy alcohol in moderation, especially during the festive period. There is no evidence to suggest that light to moderate alcohol consumption will actually harm the heart. However over indulging can have an adverse effect on your health.

Daniel      

Do You Read All Of Our Cancer Blogs?

Do you read all of the blogs published by medicineworld.org? Many of our bloggers are busy keeping you updated on the various health related topics. We publish the following blogs at this time.

Cancer blog: I manage the cancer blog with lots of help and support form other bloggers. Through this cancer blog my friends and I try to bring stories of hope for patients with cancer. The cancer blog often republishes important blog posts from other cancer related blogs at Medicineworld.org. If you are searching for a blog that covers wide variety of cancer topics, this may be the one for you.

Breast cancer blog: Breast cancer blog is run by Emily and other bloggers and they bring you the latest stories, news and events that are related to breast cancer. Increasing awareness about breast cancer among women and in the general population is the main goal of this breast cancer blog.

Lung cancer blog: Lung cancer blog is managed by Scott with the help of other bloggers. Through this blog Scott and his friends constantly remind the readers about the dangers of smoking. It's a never-ending struggle against this miserable disease with which a social stigma of smoking is associated.

Colon cancer blog: Colon cancer blog is run by Sue and other bloggers. Sue brings a personal touch to the colon cancer blog since her mother died of colon cancer few years ago. She writes about stories, research news and advances in treatment related to colon cancer.

Prostate cancer blog: Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among American men. American Cancer Society estimates that over 230,000 new cases of prostate cancer occur in the United state every year. This important blog about prostate cancer is run by Mark and other bloggers. This blog brings news, stories, and other personal observations related to prostate cancer.

Medicineworld.org publishes a diabetes watch blog and this blog is run by JoAnn other bloggers. This diabetes watch blog brings you the latest in the field of diabetes. This includes personal stories, advances in diagnosis and treatment, and other observations about diabetes. Improving awareness about diabetes is an important mission of this group.

Janet      

Heart disease
About 13 million Americans (about 7 percent of the total population) suffer from coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death in American men and women amounting a staggering 20 percent of all causes of death. About half of all deaths related to cardiovascular diseases occur from coronary artery disease. Through this heart watch blog we will have our humble contribution towards making men and women aware of the risks of heart diseases.