The relationship of alcohol consumption to atherosclerotic heart disease

A review of the literature indicated that moderate alcohol consumers appear to have a lower rate of heart disease and a lower mortality than nondrinkers or heavy drinkers. A geographic analysis of 20 countries in 1972 suggested that moderate alcohol consumption appeared to be negatively related to rates of heart disease mortality. A temporal analysis within the United States indicated that changes in alcohol consumption, particularly beer, were highly negatively related to changes in heart disease mortality for 1950 to 1975. The review, in addition to the geographic and temporal analyses, suggests a U-shaped relationship between alcohol consumption and heart disease. Possible reasons for the negative relationship between moderate alcohol consumption and heart disease were discussed, including relationships to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, changes in food patterns, and stress.