San Diego Psychologist: Light Drinking Reduces Risk of Stroke & Heart Disease…but only if…
In the recent annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Toronto, a study suggested that the potential heart healthy benefits of light drinking are eliminated if you drink and smoke. For non-smokers, they found that drinking 3-14 approximate glasses of wine lowered the risk of stroke about 37% as compared to non-drinkers. They did not specify red or white (although many studies point to red wine as being more effective). However, the study showed that these benefits were not found in the participants who also smoked.
Now, I would NOT recommend running out to the liquor store and starting to drink 3-14 glasses of red wine per week (if you don’t smoke) so you can reduce your stroke risk. Also, one of the authors notes in other research, “the protective effect of moderate alcohol consumption was seen among both smokers and nonsmokers.”
Therefore, (and as always) please make sure you talk to your primary care physician or other health care provider(s) about the contents of this blog or the article/study it refers to before making any decisions about your health. Article available at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_97536.html.
Dr. Schwartz
San Diego Psychologist