Top Doc explains alcohol, heart disease and health benefits

( examiner news )"Study after study after study" -- now "over 100 of them" -- show moderate drinkers "less likely to have heart attacks" and "less likely to die from them," Dr. Arthur Klatsky told Brewers Assn this morning. Dr Klatsky is pioneer alcohol and health researcher who did some of most important studies on moderate drinking and reduced risk of coronary artery disease.

Ben Steinman reports from last week’s National Craft Brewers Conference. The report is published here with permission and originally appeared in his daily subscriber publication INSIGHTS Express Vol 11, No 40a April 23, 2009

Results of those 100+ studies are "remarkably unanimous" from "all kinds of populations." The mechanism is also "pretty well established": alcohol raises HDL (good cholesterol), which Dr Klatsky says "explains 50% of benefit." It's alcohol itself that "provides most of benefit." Benefits of antioxidants (in wine) are "not proven" and "wonder" substance resveratrol would have to be consumed in doses that amount to "500 liters of red wine a day."

Abraham Lincoln spoke of beer:

“It is true that many were greatly injured by intoxicating drink, but none seemed to think the injury arose from the use of a bad thing, but from the abuse of a good thing.” Feb 22, 1842 -- (Washington County Temperance Society.- Springfield Illinois)

“I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth they can be depended on to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts, and beer.”

Why do researchers focus on wine? And why then the "persistence and prevalence" of belief that wine is more beneficial, asked Boston Beer chairman Jim Koch during questions and answer session.

Then Dr. Klatsky really got going: "A lot of people doing the research are wine drinkers," he pointedly noted. So much research has become focused on wine that it is "more than a cottage industry, it is a McMansion industry." And lo and behold, when there are studies on wine, "the wine industry is not loathe to promote it." Finally he said it's a "catchy idea" and "people remember it."
( by : Charlie Papazian )

Chart details: * (AHD-ACRF) Atlas of Cardiovascular Risk Factors
Ch. 12 Fig. 21 24p6 W/ 19p6 D
Author: Arthur L. Klatsky, MD, Senior Consultant in Cardiology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, Oakland, California, USA Editor: Tony Artist: WW

( examiner.com )