Sky News Friday May 26, 2006.........Again.......
Daily Drink May Be Healthy
Having a drink a day could cut the risk of heart disease for men - but not necessarily for women.
A study, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), found that men who drink alcohol every day have a lower risk of heart disease than men who drink less frequently.
Men who drank every day had a 41% reduced risk compared with those who drank on only one day a week, who had a 7% reduced risk.
Women who drank alcohol at least one day a week had a lower risk of heart disease compared with those who drank none, suggesting alcohol does have benefits.
But, the researchers found, it made little difference how often women drank, with similar levels of reduced risk whether a woman drank on one day or seven (around 35% or 36%).
The research was based on more than 50,000 Danish men and women aged 50 to 65.
The researchers, from the Centre for Alcohol Research in Denmark, concluded: "Among women, alcohol intake may be the primary determinant of the inverse association between drinking alcohol and risk of coronary heart disease whereas among men, drinking frequency, not alcohol intake, seems more important."
However, the research does not provide a carte blanche for men to drink as much as they like.
In an accompanying BMJ editorial, Annie Britton, a senior lecturer at the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London, said doctors needed to find out in what context the subjects drank and why.
Judy O'Sullivan, medical spokesperson for the British Heart Foundation said: "This study does not change the fact that alcohol should be enjoyed in moderation only, both by men and women.
"If you are teetotal you should not start consuming alcohol in order to reduce your risk of developing coronary heart disease."
Matt
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