Moderate drinking is associated with a lower risk of several, but not all, cardiovascular diseases, according to research published by The BMJ.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge and University College London analysed the electronic health records for 1.93 million healthy UK adults. All of the participants were free from cardiovascular disease at the start of the study.

The researchers found that moderate drinking was associated with a lower risk of first presenting to a doctor with several, but not all, cardiovascular conditions compared with abstaining from alcohol.
In the UK, moderate drinking is defined as no more than 14 units of alcohol a week. A standard glass of wine would be 2.3 units.

Current guidelines recommend that men and women should not drink more than 14 units of alcohol each week and you should have several alcohol-free days each week.

Drinking more than the recommended amount of alcohol can have a harmful effect on your heart and general health.

It can cause abnormal heart rhythms, high blood pressure, damage to your heart muscle and other diseases such as stroke, liver problems and some cancers.

Tracy Parker, Heart Health Dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said: “This study suggests that sticking within alcohol guidelines may actually lower your risk of some heart conditions.

“But it’s important to remember that the risks of drinking alcohol far outweigh any possible benefits.

“And these findings are certainly no reason to start drinking alcohol if you don’t already.

“There are far more effective ways of improving your heart health such as regular exercise, a good diet and quitting smoking. If you’re over 40 you should also consider a free NHS health check, to better understand your risk of heart disease and the steps you can take to lower it.”

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