Moderate alcohol may slow
down the stiffening of the arteries that
happens as a natural part of aging, so
say researches from the National Institute
on Aging (NIA). Presenting their findings
in November to the American Heart Association’s
Scientific Sessions 2001 conference, the
NIA researches emphasized that light to
moderate drinking (meaning one or two
alcoholic drinks) may be a factor in preventing
the buildup of arterial plaques. This
hardening of the arteries makes the heart
work harder and can cause a variety of
health problems, including higher systolic
blood pressure.
Researchers stressed that
moderation is key – large amounts
of alcohol actually increase blood pressure,
but that the benefits were not limited
to wine. Beer and hard liquor seem to
have similar effects.
Although the study does
not conclusively contribute the benefit
solely to moderate alcohol consumption,
there seems little doubt that it is associated
with decreased mortality, according to
study co-author Dr. Jerome Fleg, staff
cardiologist at the NIA’s Gerontology
Research Center in Baltimore.
For more on the National
Institute on Aging, visit their website
at http://www.nia.nih.gov/
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