For wine lovers, it’s encouraging news: Drinking a glass a day could be more effective than statins in reducing the risk of heart attacks.
A study has shown that those who drink moderate amounts as part of a Mediterranean diet can reduce the probability by half.
Although previous studies have suggested that wine could have a protective effect on the heart, many are based on what patients themselves say.
But the latest is the first to accurately measure consumption from urine samples, which were provided by the 1,232 participants at the start of the study and again a year later. After four or five years of follow-up, there were 685 cases of heart disease, including heart attacks, strokes or death from cardiovascular disease.
Researchers at the University of Barcelona found that those who drank 12 to 35 glasses of wine a month had a 50 percent lower risk than those who drank no more than one, reported the study published in the European Heart Journal. Statins reduce the risk by about 30 percent.
The heart health benefits decreased for those who drank more.
However, the findings come after the World Health Federation (WHF) said in 2022 that wine contained antioxidants, which have health benefits, but that studies suggesting the drink may be good for us are “observational”.
For example, the fact that moderate drinkers appear healthier than non-drinkers could be because the latter have had a problem with alcohol.
For wine lovers, it’s encouraging news: Drinking a glass a day could be more effective than statins in reducing the risk of heart attacks.
Researchers at the University of Barcelona found that those who drank between 12 and 35 glasses of wine a month had a 50 percent lower risk than those who drank no more than one.
Statins reduce the risk by around 30 per cent, while the study suggests that those who drink moderate amounts of wine as part of a Mediterranean diet can reduce the chance by half.
Monika Arora of the WHF had said: “The presentation of alcohol as necessary for a vibrant social life has diverted attention from the harms of alcohol consumption, as have frequent claims that moderate consumption, such as a glass of red wine a day, can offer protection against cardiovascular diseases.
“These claims are at best misinformed and at worst an attempt by the alcohol industry to mislead the public about the danger of their product.”
Matt Lambert, of drinks industry trade body the Portman Group, said: “It is important not to exaggerate the risk of moderate alcohol consumption and unduly alarm responsible consumers who enjoy alcohol sensibly.”
Some who enjoy the occasional drink have rejected warnings from the “nanny state”, such as that of the former chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, who in 2016 told the House of Commons science and technology committee that women They should “do what I do” and think about the risks of breast cancer every time they have a glass of wine.
Later that year, he admitted that he had chosen his words poorly.