Moderate alcohol consumption associated with decreased risk of heart failure

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

According to a new study published online in the European Heart Journal, researchers have found that drinking up to seven alcoholic drinks per week in early to middle age is associated with 20% decreased risk for developing heart failure in men.

For the study, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, analyzed data from 14,629 people aged 45-64 years from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study conducted between 1987 and 1989. Participants were followed for 24-25 years until the end of 2011.

Researchers asked them about their alcohol consumption at the beginning of the study and at the three subsequent visits every 3 years years. During the follow-up period, 1,271 men and 1,237 women developed heart failure.

Results showed that those who drank up to seven drinks per week had the lowest rate of heart failure and those were considered former drinkers had the highest.

After adjusting for other factors, researchers found that men who drank up to seven drinks per week had a 20% decreased risk for developing heart failure compared with those who did not drink, and women who drank the same amount had a 16% reduced risk of heart failure. The findings suggest that moderate consumption of alcohol may provide protective benefits against heart failure.