Or there's this interesting study, from the January issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.
But note the final sentence in the section entitled "Cautions." As we've discussed before, funding is always a problem for objectivity. Even if the researcher can manage to distill a perfect product (sorry, couldn't resist!), there's the taint of association. Beth Benoit Granite State College Concord NH Moderate drinking may help men with high blood pressure January 8, 2007 HEART DISEASE Men with high blood pressure who have one or two drinks per day are less likely to have a heart attack, says a study in the current Annals of Internal Medicine. People with hypertension have traditionally been advised to stay away from alcohol because excessive drinking can increase blood pressure. An international team of researchers led by Dr. Kenneth Mukamal and Joline Beulens sought to find out how moderate drinking affects cardiovascular disease in people with high blood pressure. A group of 11,711 men with hypertension were surveyed about their drinking habits every four years from 1986 to 2002. The researchers found that people who drank moderate amounts of beer, wine, or liquor had fewer heart attacks, though their risk of death was not significantly different from that of the other subjects in the study. BOTTOM LINE: Having one or two drinks a day may be beneficial for men with high blood pressure, but studies like these shouldn't be used to justify excessive drinking. "Men with hypertension who drink moderately and safely do not need to change their drinking habits," said Beulens, of the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands, who was the study's lead author. CAUTIONS: The study included only male healthcare providers, so it might not be generalizable to a broader population. And, one of the study authors, Eric Rimm of the Harvard School of Public Health, has been sponsored by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States to speak at academic conferences. WHAT'S NEXT: Researchers said they want to see whether moderate drinking also benefits women with hypertension. WHERE TO FIND IT: Annals of Internal Medicine, Jan 2. --- To make changes to your subscription go to: http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=tips&text_mode=0&lang=english
