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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- One or two drinks a day might be just what the doctor ordered for men with high blood pressure.
Harvard researchers report men who consumed just a couple of alcoholic drinks a day were less likely to have a heart attack. The finding held true even after the results were adjusted to take other factors related to heart attack risk into account.
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Lower levels of alcohol consumption -- one drink or less every two or three days -- had no effect on heart attack risk.
The researchers note many men who develop high blood pressure are advised not to drink, because heavy drinking has been shown to worsen heart problems and can actually cause high blood pressure. For that reason, they don't advise anyone to drink more than one or two drinks per day. However, given these results, they suggest a safe and responsible intake of alcohol might help reduce heart attacks among men with high blood pressure, who are at increased risk for the condition.
"Men diagnosed with hypertension probably get a lot of advice on how to change their lifestyle, physical activity, and diet," reports study author Joline Beulens, M.Sc. "This study indicates that if they drink alcohol in moderation they may not need to change their drinking habits."
How could alcohol be protecting men against heart attacks? Previous studies have shown alcohol raises levels of HDL, or good cholesterol, and also thins the blood, which could help prevent deadly clots from forming.
The study was conducted among about 11,700 male health care professionals with high blood pressure who were followed from 1986 to 2002.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: Annals of Internal Medicine, published online Jan. 2, 2007
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