Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Meta-Analysis
. 1999 Dec 11;319(7224):1523-8.
doi: 10.1136/bmj.319.7224.1523.

Moderate alcohol intake and lower risk of coronary heart disease: meta-analysis of effects on lipids and haemostatic factors

E B Rimm  1 , P Williams, K Fosher, M Criqui, M J Stampfer
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Moderate alcohol intake and lower risk of coronary heart disease: meta-analysis of effects on lipids and haemostatic factors

E B Rimm et al. BMJ. .

Abstract

Objective: To summarise quantitatively the association between moderate alcohol intake and biological markers of risk of coronary heart disease and to predict how these changes would lower the risk.

Design: Meta-analysis of all experimental studies that assessed the effects of moderate alcohol intake on concentrations of high density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein A I, fibrinogen, triglycerides, and other biological markers previously found to be associated with risk of coronary heart disease.

Participants: Men and women free of previous chronic disease and who were not dependent on alcohol. Studies were included in which biomarkers were assessed before and after participants consumed up to 100 g of alcohol a day.

Interventions: Alcohol as ethanol, beer, wine, or spirits.

Main outcome measures: Changes in concentrations of high density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein A I, Lp(a) lipoprotein, triglycerides, tissue type plasminogen activator activity, tissue type plasminogen activator antigen, insulin, and glucose after consuming an experimental dose of alcohol for 1 to 9 weeks; a shorter period was accepted for studies of change in concentrations of fibrinogen, factor VII, von Willebrand factor, tissue type plasminogen activator activity, and tissue type plasminogen activator antigen.

Results: 61 data records were abstracted from 42 eligible studies with information on change in biological markers of risk of coronary heart disease. An experimental dose of 30 g of ethanol a day increased concentrations of high density lipoprotein cholesterol by 3.99 mg/dl (95% confidence interval 3.25 to 4.73), apolipoprotein A I by 8.82 mg/dl (7.79 to 9.86), and triglyceride by 5.69 mg/dl (2.49 to 8.89). Several haemostatic factors related to a thrombolytic profile were modestly affected by alcohol. On the basis of published associations between these biomarkers and risk of coronary heart disease 30 g of alcohol a day would cause an estimated reduction of 24.7% in risk of coronary heart disease.

Conclusions: Alcohol intake is causally related to lower risk of coronary heart disease through changes in lipids and haemostatic factors.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Weighted regression analysis of alcohol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration from 36 data records abstracted from experimental studies of alcohol intake
Figure 2
Figure 2
Percentage change in biomarkers associated with intake of 30 g of alcohol a day
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Moore RD, Pearson TA. Moderate alcohol consumption and coronary artery disease: a review. Medicine. 1986;65:242–267. - PubMed
    1. Marmot M, Brunner E. Alcohol and cardiovascular disease: the status of the U-shaped curve. BMJ. 1991;303:565–568. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Maclure M. Demonstration of deductive meta-analysis: ethanol intake and risk of myocardial infarction. Epidemiol Rev. 1993;15:328–351. - PubMed
    1. Klatsky AL. Epidemiology of coronary heart disease—influence of alcohol. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 1994;18:88–96. - PubMed
    1. Renaud S, Criqui MH, Farchi G, Veenstra J. Alcohol drinking and coronary heart disease. In: Verschuren PM, editor. Health issues related to alcohol consumption. Washington, DC: ILSI Press; 1993. pp. 18–124.

Publication types