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Having a supportive social network enhances the health benefits of having a few drinks, new research from Japan suggests.The
study of Japanese men years found that moderate to light alcohol
consumption, coupled with high levels of social support, were linked to
lower rates of heart disease and stroke.
"But
remember," Dr. Hiroyasu Iso from Osaka University noted in a statement,
"this beneficial effect of social support is confined to
light-to-moderate drinking. Heavy drinking is risky irrespective of
social support level."
Story continues below ↓
advertisement | your ad heredap('&PG=NBC9CD&AP=1089','300','250');
In
a report in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research,
the researchers note that light to moderate drinking has been shown to
help protect against stroke and heart disease. Being surrounded by lots
of family and friends is also known to be good for the heart and may
even help people live longer.
The new study, Iso and colleagues say, shows that high levels of social support may enhance the heart-healthy effects of light to moderate alcohol consumption.
Iso's
team examined drinking patterns, social support and cardiovascular
health of 19,356 men in their 40s, 50s and 60s who were enrolled in the
Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study. Their alcohol
consumption was classified into seven categories: never, past,
occasional, 1 to 149, 150 to 299, 300 to 449, or 450 or more grams of
alcohol per week.
During an average follow up of more than 9 years, 629 strokes and 207 coronary heart diseases were documented in the men.
Confirming
past studies, heavier drinking (i.e., 300 grams per week or more) was
associated with an increased risk of stroke. This may be explained at
least partly by alcohol-induced high blood pressure, the researchers
say.
In contrast
to heavy drinking, light to moderate drinking — up to 299 grams of
alcohol per week — was associated with reduced risks of stroke and
heart disease, and the effect was more pronounced in men with high
levels of social support, "probably due to avoidance of unhealthy
behaviors and enhancement of stress buffering," Iso surmised.
Compared
with light to moderate drinkers with high social support, those with
low social support had unhealthier lifestyle behaviors; they were more
apt to be sedentary and had fewer opportunities for medical checkups.
They were also more likely to have high stress levels, no job, and no
spouse.
The
researchers speculate that low levels of social support may cause
mental stress, which is hard on the heart. Mental stress activates
components of the body's neuro-endocrine system, "which lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease," Iso explained.
Having a supportive social network enhances the health benefits of having a few drinks, new research from Japan suggests.The
study of Japanese men years found that moderate to light alcohol
consumption, coupled with high levels of social support, were linked to
lower rates of heart disease and stroke.
"But
remember," Dr. Hiroyasu Iso from Osaka University noted in a statement,
"this beneficial effect of social support is confined to
light-to-moderate drinking. Heavy drinking is risky irrespective of
social support level."
Story continues below ↓
advertisement | your ad heredap('&PG=NBC9CD&AP=1089','300','250');
In
a report in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research,
the researchers note that light to moderate drinking has been shown to
help protect against stroke and heart disease. Being surrounded by lots
of family and friends is also known to be good for the heart and may
even help people live longer.
The new study, Iso and colleagues say, shows that high levels of social support may enhance the heart-healthy effects of light to moderate alcohol consumption.
Iso's
team examined drinking patterns, social support and cardiovascular
health of 19,356 men in their 40s, 50s and 60s who were enrolled in the
Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study. Their alcohol
consumption was classified into seven categories: never, past,
occasional, 1 to 149, 150 to 299, 300 to 449, or 450 or more grams of
alcohol per week.
During an average follow up of more than 9 years, 629 strokes and 207 coronary heart diseases were documented in the men.
Confirming
past studies, heavier drinking (i.e., 300 grams per week or more) was
associated with an increased risk of stroke. This may be explained at
least partly by alcohol-induced high blood pressure, the researchers
say.
In contrast
to heavy drinking, light to moderate drinking — up to 299 grams of
alcohol per week — was associated with reduced risks of stroke and
heart disease, and the effect was more pronounced in men with high
levels of social support, "probably due to avoidance of unhealthy
behaviors and enhancement of stress buffering," Iso surmised.
Compared
with light to moderate drinkers with high social support, those with
low social support had unhealthier lifestyle behaviors; they were more
apt to be sedentary and had fewer opportunities for medical checkups.
They were also more likely to have high stress levels, no job, and no
spouse.
The
researchers speculate that low levels of social support may cause
mental stress, which is hard on the heart. Mental stress activates
components of the body's neuro-endocrine system, "which lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease," Iso explained.
