A little alcohol combined with a healthy active lifestyle may be the best recipe for a longer life. A European Heart Journal study suggests the combination can cut the risk of heart disease.
A Danish team found people who led an active lifestyle were less prone to heart disease – but the risk was cut still further if they drank moderately.
However, UK experts warned people should not be encouraged to drink, as too much alcohol can be very damaging.
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 Physical activity has shown greater benefits to heart health and overall health in previous research compared to drinking alcohol  Ellen Mason
British Heart Foundation |
The researchers followed nearly 12,000 men and women for nearly 20 years, during which 1,242 died from ischaemic heart disease (IHD).
Overall, they found people who did not drink or take any exercise had the highest risk of heart disease – 49% higher than people who either drank, exercised or did both.
When comparing people who took similar levels of exercise, they found that those who drank moderately – one to 14 units of alcohol a week – were around 30% less likely to develop heart disease than non-drinkers.
This finding held good for people who were completely inactive, through to those who took vigorous regular exercise – with the overall risk declining as exercise levels increased.
Non-drinkers who were physically active had a 31%-33% reduced risk of IHD compared to physically inactive non-drinkers.
But their reduced risk was dwarfed by physically active people who drank at least one drink a week – their risk was up to 50% lower than that of physically inactive non-drinkers.
Biochemical effects
Past research has suggested that alcohol consumption may decrease the risk of heart disease by increasing the levels of “good” cholesterol and possibly thinning the blood.
It was a similar story when the researchers looked at deaths from all causes: physical activity appeared to reduce the risk, while moderate drinkers fared better than their abstemious peers across all physical activity levels.
Researcher Professor Morton Gronbaek, from Copenhagen’s National Institute of Public Health, said: “Our study shows that being both physically active and drinking a moderate amount of alcohol is important for lowering the risk of both fatal IHD and death from all causes.”
Ellen Mason, a cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: “The combination of moderate drinking and physical activity appears to be a winning one in reducing the risk of fatal heart disease.
“However, drinking too much starts to outweigh the benefits of alcohol intake and can increase your blood pressure.
“Physical activity has shown greater benefits to heart health and overall health in previous research compared to drinking alcohol.
“Alcohol is a depressant whereas exercise releases mood-enhancing hormones which can benefit quality of life as well as reduce the risk of death.”
More than three drinks a day can raise blood pressure
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People with high blood pressure need not be teetotal and may benefit from a regular tipple, a US study suggests. Men with hypertension reduced their risk of a heart attack by having a drink or two a day, the study in Annals of Internal Medicine found.
But experts warned too much alcohol can raise blood pressure and said the findings should not be used as a licence to drink.
They stressed that alcohol can harm and should not be used as a medicine.
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With alcohol consumption there is a fine line between benefit and risk Judy O’Sullivan, British Heart Foundation
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For the 11,711 male healthcare professionals studied, moderate alcohol consumption (one or two glasses of beer, wine or shots of liquor) actually reduced the risk of a heart attack, even if they had high blood pressure.
Light drinkers, who consumed less than one drink every two or three days, did not have a lower risk of heart attack than non-drinkers, however.
A fine line
The study authors stressed that more than three drinks a day raises blood pressure and the risk of hypertension, adding, “so our findings are not a license for men with hypertension to overindulge”.
However, lead author Joline Beulens, at the Harvard School of Public Health, added: “Because excess alcohol intake clearly increases blood pressure, many men with hypertension are counselled not to drink, but our results suggest that may not be necessary if men drink safely and responsibly.”
Past research has shown that one way alcohol consumption decreases the risk of heart disease is by increasing the levels of “good” cholesterol and possibly thinning the blood.
Judy O’Sullivan of the British Heart Foundation said: “With alcohol consumption there is a fine line between benefit and risk.
“This study concluded that drinking alcohol in moderation is safe for men with high blood pressure. However, alcohol should not be used as a medicine and those who are teetotal do not need to start consuming alcohol to benefit their heart health.
“It should be remembered that drinking to excess carries serious health risks.
“If you want to improve your heart health our advice is to avoid smoking, eat a balanced diet low in salt and saturated fat and take regular physical activity,” she advised.
