Drinking Alcohol Daily Seems to Cut the Risk for Coronary Artery Disease the Most

A study published in the BMJ reports a correlation between drinking patterns and risk of coronary heart disease in women and men:

Women who drank alcohol daily had a lower risk of coronary heart disease than women who drank alcohol on less than one day a week. Little difference was found, however, between drinking frequency.

For men an inverse association was found between drinking frequency and risk of coronary heart disease across the entire range of drinking frequencies. The lowest risk was observed among men who drank daily (0.59, 0.48 to 0.71).

Doctors do not recommend people who do not drink to start using alcohol to prevent or treat any disease. If you already drink alcohol, and you have no alcohol-related problems or contraindications, you can continue using it in moderation.

References:

Prospective study of alcohol drinking patterns and coronary heart disease in women and men. BMJ, doi:10.1136/bmj.38831.503113.7C (published 3 May 2006).
Alcohol literally kills: Gary Moore had 380mg/dL in his blood, Winehouse 416mg/dL when she died surrounded by 3 empty vodka bottles. Telegraph UK, 2012
Rethinking Drinking - NIH interactive website
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