 |
Thomas S. May, M.A.Medical Writer |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
The Alcoholic Buzz: Drinking Patterns Affect Life Span
Thomas S. May, Medical Writer Introduction A growing body of scientific evidence shows that people who drink one or two alcoholic beverages a day are generally healthier and tend to live longer than those who don't drink at all. This does not mean, however, that having one or two drinks a day on average is necessarily good for you. If you regularly down a couple of six-packs or 10-12 glasses of wine each weekend and drink nothing on weekdays, brace yourself for bad news: Just because that averages out to one or two per day doesn't mean you are a "moderate drinker." In fact, research shows that frequent binge drinking like that is quite harmful and can significantly reduce your life span.
The drinking pattern is just as important as how much you drink. A study
published in Addiction (June 2000) found that people who had six
drinks 1-2 days a week were more likely to report chronic conditions than
those who had one or two a day, 6-7 days a week. The group who drank more
weekly was also much more likely to report at least three health problems
than those who drank less.
The results of this study appear
to confirm the findings of some earlier research on what drinking patterns
do to health and longevity. "Having one to two drinks a day has been
reported to reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases such as
stroke or acute myocardial infarction [heart attack]," says the study's
lead author, Begonia San Jose of Rotterdam's Addiction Research Institute.
"Occasional heavy drinking or 'binge drinking,' on the other hand, has
been shown to have the opposite effect," she adds. "In our study, we also
found the same type of relationship between drinking patterns and
subjective health outcomes like perceived general health, chronic
conditions, and health complaints."
Paradox Explained For a long time, scientists have been puzzled by an apparent contradiction regarding the effects of alcohol consumption on health. Studies have consistently found that the rates of heart disease and mortality are lower in Mediterranean countries, like France for instance, where most people consume relatively large amounts of alcohol each week. This is believed to be because of alcohol's "cardioprotective" qualities. Yet, in Russia and many other Eastern European countries, where average alcohol consumption is comparable to the amount consumed in France, the rates of cardiovascular disease and death are much higher.
The differences in drinking patterns between these two cultures explain
the paradox, according to a study published in the Journal of
Epidemiology and Community Health (May 2000). "In Mediterranean
countries, alcohol is typically consumed as wine with meals, whereas in
Russia it is much more likely to be drunk as spirits, in binges," the
study authors claim. Whats the Difference How can the same amount of alcohol--if drunk within a day or 2--be so harmful, yet be quite healthful when gradually consumed over the course of an entire week? The answer seems to lie with alcohol's short-term "dose-response effect," according to Kari Poikolainen, MD, director of research at the Finnish Foundation for Alcohol Studies. Alcohol can have both positive and negative effects on the body, depending on the amount consumed, Dr. Poikolainen says. "Positive effects dominate at the moderate intake level, and negative effects dominate following heavy drinking," he explains. Dr. Poikolainen says that positive effects include
Negative effects include
Both of these conditions are linked to a greater chance of stroke or other cardiovascular event. Sudden changes in blood pressure after binge drinking may also explain some of the harmful effects. A study conducted by Kaija Seppa, MD, of the Tampere University Medical School in Finland found that "drinking seems to increase both systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) during intoxication but not during hangover. During the period when blood alcohol levels are decreasing, both pressure levels fall to less than the basic level. These major and rapid changes in BP values might increase the likelihood of strokes, which are seen in increased numbers among young adults, especially during weekends and holidays."
Most experts believe that having one or two alcoholic drinks a day,
preferably with meals, is good for cardiovascular health, and may result
in a moderate increase in life span. "For healthy adults, steady moderate
drinking results in improved health and longer life span," says Dr.
Poikolainen. He advises against occasional heavy (binge) drinking,
however, and cautions that even moderate drinking is not recommended for
everyone. "Abstaining might be the healthiest choice for people afflicted
with certain conditions like depression, high blood pressure, liver
disease, or stomach ulcer. The risk of alcohol dependence should also be
considered," he cautions.
Thomas S. May is a freelance
medical writer. Source: Medscape Health
Reprinted from Medscape Health for Consumers.
|
