And then the lead researcher had to ruin the fun. "Based on the data, I wouldn't recommend that nondrinkers start drinking," said Christine M. Albert, M.D., pointing out that according to the study, rates of sudden cardiac death went back up when one had more than two drinks each day. "One has to consider all the risks and benefits of drinking alcohol." Sure, you may get hooked on the bottle, but heart disease is the nations biggest killer, and sudden cardiac death (SCD) is responsible for about half of all those deaths. If a drink or two every day keeps heart rhythms regular — decreasing the risk of SCD — who are we not to take our medicine? A pity, though, that those health benefits evaporate after two belts a day — just when all the other benefits are really kicking in.
OK, I'll Have One for the Ol' Ticker
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Red wine give you a headache? Take heart - a new study of alcohols affect on the ol ticker says that when it comes to reaping the benefits of moderate drinking, any booze will do. The study, from researchers at Harvard Medical School and published in the American Heart Association's journal, Circulation, is the largest to date: 21,537 men over a 12-year period. It follows much debate about the so-called French Paradox, the contention that the consumption of red wine — thought to contain anti-fat ingredients other than those found in alcohol — was responsible for relatively low rates of heart disease among the French, whose diets often contain high amounts of animal fats and dairy products. The new study found that men who had two to four drinks per week lessened their risk for sudden cardiac death by 60 percent. Those who had even more — five to six drinks per week — lowered their risk by 79 percent.