Exploring the Link Between Moderate Alcohol Consumption and Lower Risk of Heart Disease
According to a new study conducted by the Massachusetts General Hospital, light to moderate amounts of alcohol is linked to long-term reductions in stress signaling in the brain, helping to reduce the risk of heart disease. Published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the study was able to demonstrate that neurobiological effects of alcohol have a significant impact on the cardiovascular system.
The study mainly focused on light to moderate drinkers who consume an average of one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men. The researchers found that light to moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a substantial reduction of cardiovascular disease events, even after accounting for other factors.
The researchers analyzed more than 50,000 people who were enrolled in the Mass General Brigham Biobank and studied the relationship between light to moderate alcohol consumption and major adverse cardiovascular events while adjusting for genetic, clinical, lifestyle, and socioeconomic confounding factors. The study revealed that light to moderate alcohol consumption was associated with a substantial decrease in the risk of cardiovascular disease events.
The Impact of Light to Moderate Alcohol Consumption on Stress-Related Neural Network Activities
The study further analyzed a subset of 754 people who had undergone PET/CT brain imaging primarily for cancer surveillance, to determine the impact of light to moderate alcohol consumption on stress-related neural network activities. The results showed that compared to those who abstained from drinking or drank lightly, light to moderate drinkers had reduced stress signaling in the amygdala, the brain region responsible for stress responses.
Since it has been known that alcohol reduces the reactivity of the amygdala to threatening stimuli while people are drinking, this study shows how light to moderate alcohol consumption has long-term neurobiological effects on dampening activity in the amygdala. This, in turn, can have a significant impact on the cardiovascular system. The reduced stress signaling in light to moderate drinkers’ brain became a key factor in explaining the mechanism behind the observed reduction of cardiovascular events.
Light to Moderate Alcohol Consumption and the Risk of Cancer
The study also wanted to analyze whether light to moderate alcohol would be more effective in reducing heart attacks and strokes in people who are prone to a chronically higher stress response, such as those with a history of significant anxiety. The researchers found that within the sample of 50,000 patients, light to moderate alcohol consumption was associated with almost twice the cardiac protective effect in individuals with a history of anxiety, compared to others.
However, while light or moderate drinkers reduced their cardiovascular disease risk, the study also showed that any amount of alcohol increases the risk of cancer, and with greater alcohol consumption (more than 14 drinks per week), the risk of heart attack began to rise, while overall brain activity began to decline (which may be associated with adverse cognitive health).
Finding New Interventions that Reduce Stressful Activity in the Brain without Harmful Effects of Alcohol
With this research, the authors concluded that finding new interventions that reduce stressful activity in the brain without the harmful effects of alcohol is critical. The research team is currently studying the effects of exercise, stress reduction interventions such as meditation, and drug therapies on stress-associated neural networks, and how they might induce cardiovascular benefits.
It is worth noting that the study has its limitations. The study was conducted in one geographic region and consists mostly of people of European ancestry, and researchers worked with self-reported data regarding alcohol consumption. As such, more research is necessary to confirm the findings in a more diverse population and settings.
The Bottom Line
Based on this study, light to moderate alcohol consumption seems to have neurobiological effects on dampening stress signaling in the brain, which leads to a significant reduction of cardiovascular events. However, the study also revealed that alcohol consumption increases the risk of cancer, and higher quantities of alcohol consumption lead to increased cognitive decline. Therefore, finding new interventions that reduce stressful activity in the brain without the harmful effects of alcohol is crucial.
Additional piece:
Four Ways to Reduce Stress Without Consuming Alcohol
Stress can have an adverse effect on physical and mental health, which could lead to chronic anxiety, inflammation, and cardiovascular diseases. While light to moderate alcohol consumption might have neurobiological effects on dampening stress signaling in the brain, it does increase the risk of cancer and decline in cognitive function in higher quantities. Here are four ways to reduce stress without consuming alcohol:
1. Exercise: Exercise is beneficial as it helps to reduce stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline while promoting the production of mood-enhancing chemicals in the brain. Exercise also helps to improve overall physical health, which boosts mental health, leading to alertness and positivity.
2. Meditation and Yoga: Meditation and yoga provide a haven for practicing mindfulness, which is the ability to stay present and aware of thoughts and feelings without judgment. The practice also increases the brain’s resilience to stress by encouraging relaxation, which results in lowered blood pressure and heart rate while improving immune function and reducing anxiety symptoms.
3. Eating a Balanced Diet: A healthy diet reduces the likelihood of developing chronic diseases while providing the body with vital nutrients to maintain optimal function. Eating a balanced diet that includes vegetables, fruits, lean protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats will give the body the fuel it needs. Such a diet helps to keep cortisol levels in check, boost mood, lower inflammation, and protect against chronic diseases.
4. Connect with Others: Connecting with family or friends provides emotional support and can help to reduce stress levels. Research shows that social connection promotes a sense of belonging, encouraging one to tackle stressors with optimism, leading to better coping strategies.
In conclusion, adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors like regular exercise or meditation helps to reduce stress without the harmful effects of alcohol. Daily activities like eating a balanced diet and connecting with others provide emotional support to help you thrive through stressful situations.
Summary:
Light to moderate alcohol consumption has long-term neurobiological effects on dampening activity in the amygdala, which may have a significant impact on the cardiovascular system. The study revealed that light to moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a substantial decrease in the risk of cardiovascular disease events. Research should focus on finding new interventions that reduce stressful activity in the brain without the harmful effects of alcohol. The additional piece explores four ways to reduce stress without consuming alcohol, including exercise, meditation, a balanced diet, and social support.
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A new study led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham health care system, offers an explanation for why light to moderate alcohol consumption may be associated with a lower risk of heart disease. For the first time, the researchers found that alcohol, in light to moderate amounts, was associated with long-term reductions in stress signaling in the brain. This impact on the brain’s stress systems appeared to significantly explain the reductions in cardiovascular events seen in the light to moderate drinkers who participated in the study. The findings are published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
“We are not advocating the use of alcohol to reduce the risk of heart attacks or strokes because of other concerning health effects of alcohol,” says lead author and cardiologist Ahmed Tawakol, MD, co-director of the Center for Cardiovascular Imaging Research at Massachusetts. General Hospital. “We wanted to understand how light to moderate alcohol consumption reduces cardiovascular disease, as demonstrated by many other studies. And if we could find the mechanism, the goal would be to find other approaches that could replicate or induce the cardiac-protective effects of alcohol without the impacts adverse effects of alcohol”.
Previous epidemiological studies have suggested that light to moderate alcohol consumption (1 drink per day for women and 1 to 2 drinks per day for men) is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. But it was unknown whether alcohol was inducing cardiovascular benefits, or whether the light/moderate drinkers’ health behaviors, socioeconomic status, or other factors were protecting their hearts.
The study, led by K Mezue and M Osborne, included more than 50,000 people enrolled in the Mass General Brigham Biobank. The first part of the study evaluated the relationship between light/moderate alcohol consumption and major adverse cardiovascular events after adjusting for a variety of genetic, clinical, lifestyle, and socioeconomic confounding factors. The researchers found that light/moderate alcohol consumption was associated with a substantial reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease events, even after accounting for these other factors.
They next studied a subset of 754 people who had previously undergone PET/CT brain imaging (mainly for cancer surveillance) to determine the effect of light/moderate alcohol consumption on stress-related neural network activity. Resting.
The brain images showed reduced stress signaling in the amygdala, the region of the brain associated with stress responses, in individuals who drank lightly to moderately compared to those who abstained from alcohol or lightly drank. And when the researchers looked at the history of cardiovascular events in these individuals, they found fewer heart attacks and strokes in the light to moderate drinkers. “We found that brain changes in light to moderate drinkers explain a significant part of the cardiac protective effects,” says Tawakol.
It has long been known that alcohol reduces the reactivity of the amygdala to threatening stimuli while people are drinking. The current study is the first to indicate that light to moderate alcohol consumption has long-term neurobiological effects on dampening activity in the amygdala, which may have a significant impact on the cardiovascular system.
“When the amygdala is too alert and vigilant, the sympathetic nervous system is intensified, raising blood pressure and increasing heart rate, triggering the release of inflammatory cells,” Tawakol explains. “If the stress is chronic, the result is hypertension, increased inflammation, and a substantial risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.”
Finally, the researchers examined whether light/moderate alcohol would be even more effective in reducing heart attacks and strokes in people who are prone to a chronically higher stress response, such as those with a history of significant anxiety. They found that, within the sample of 50,000 patients, light to moderate alcohol consumption was associated with nearly twice the cardiac protective effect in individuals with a history of anxiety compared with others.
However, while light/moderate drinkers reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease, the study also showed that any amount of alcohol increases the risk of cancer. And with greater amounts of alcohol consumption (more than 14 drinks a week), the risk of heart attack began to rise, while overall brain activity began to decline (which may be associated with adverse cognitive health).
The authors concluded that research should focus on finding new interventions that reduce stressful activity in the brain without the harmful effects of alcohol. The research team is currently studying the effect of exercise, stress reduction interventions such as meditation, and drug therapies on stress-associated neural networks and how they might induce cardiovascular benefits.
Coauthors include Kenechukwu Mezue and Michael T. Osborne.
This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/06/230612200347.htm
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