Alcohol consumption doesn’t reduce heart risks for certain patients, study says

SALT LAKE CITY — A study by a team of researchers at Intermountain Healthcare has shown that moderate alcohol consumption has no additional benefit in reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes in patients who are taking the statin drugs that are widely prescribed to reduce cholesterol.

Researchers presented the study’s findings this week at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions in Washington, DC.

The study compared two groups of patients. Some patients said they used alcohol and others were taking statin drugs. It followed them to determine how many suffered major adverse cardiac events, such as heart attacks or strokes.

“What we found is, if you’re on a statin, drinking alcohol did not reduce the risk further,” Dr. Anderson told KSL NewsRadio.

Some studies in the past have suggested moderate alcohol consumption has some benefits in reducing the risk of serious heart problems. But Dr. Anderson pointed out that the World Health Organization does not agree.

“Just this past month, they came out with this statement that basically says that alcohol is not beneficial in any amount as far as your health goes,” he said.

While there are claims that resveratrol, a substance found in red wine, may have some health benefits of its own, Anderson says their study did not address that question.

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