Fun and Fitness for the 40-Something

That’s what research out of Japan suggests. In a study to be published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, scientists found that “moderate to light alcohol consumption, coupled with high levels of social support, were linked to lower rates of heart disease and stroke.”

The researchers set out to determine whether the association between alcohol consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease is affected by social support. Light-to-moderate drinking has previously been linked to a reduced risk of stroke and coronary heart disease. Other studies have demonstrated that greater social support is linked to a reduced risk of mortality and heart disease. But what if the forces were combined? Would it compound the positive effects?

The research team studied the drinking patterns, social support and cardiovascular health of 19,356 men aged 40 to 69 years. During an average follow-up of almost 10 years, 629 total strokes and 207 coronary heart diseases were documented in the men. Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption (less than about 10.5 ounces of ethanol per week) was associated with reduced risks of coronary heart disease and total cardiovascular disease. Heavy alcohol consumption (about 10.5 ounces of ethanol per week or more) was associated with increased risk of total stroke, particularly hemorrhagic stroke.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, a standard alcoholic beverage  (i.e., a 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine or a mixed drink with 1.5 ounces of liquor) contains 0.6 ounces of ethanol. By my math, that means the study defined “heavy alcohol consumption” as 17.5 drinks per week (remember that these were men in the study—”heavy alcohol consumption” for women likely requires less than 17.5 drinks per week).

At any rate, when the social support factors were added to the mix, the researchers found that the reduced risks of total stroke, ischemic stroke and total cardiovascular disease associated with light-to-moderate drinking were more pronounced in men with high social support. They theorized that this is probably due to avoidance of unhealthy behaviors and enhancement of stress buffering. Those with low social support had more unhealthy lifestyles, including physical inactivity, no job and fewer opportunities for medical checkups.

The researchers ultimately concluded that social support may enhance the beneficial effect of light-to-moderate alcohol consumption on the risk of cardiovascular disease. But the lead researcher cautioned that the finding is confined to light-to-moderate drinking: “Heavy drinking is risky irrespective of social support level. We believe that this also holds for other ethnic populations.”

This entry was posted on Friday, April 24th, 2009 at 7:31 am and is filed under Health and Wellness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.