Gematigd drinken vermindert ontstekings-proteïne.*

Mensen die tussen 5 en 7 glazen alcohol per week drinken hebben de laagste waarde van het CRP proteine dan zij die niet of meer drinken. CRP geeft een hogere kans op een hartziekte en de hoeveelheid CRP in het bloed is zelfs een betere voorspeller op hartproblemen dan hoog cholesterol.

People who consume between five and seven alcohol-containing drinks a week have lower levels of inflammation-related compound in their blood than those who consume little or no alcohol, a new study suggests. The compound is known as C-reactive protein (CRP), and it has been linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Indeed, a recent study suggested that testing for CRP could be an even better predictor of heart attack than high cholesterol. The findings in the current study suggest a possible reason why moderate drinkers tend to have fewer heart problems than those who do not drink. "Alcohol may attenuate cardiovascular mortality in part through an anti-inflammatory mechanism," according to Dr. Michelle A. Albert of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, and colleagues. In the study, the researchers measured CRP levels in 2,833 men and women, according to a report in an issue of Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association. The lowest CRP levels were associated with people who reported drinking between five and seven drinks per week. Teetotalers, on the other hand, had CRP levels that were almost double those seen in the moderate drinkers. However, the researchers note that too much alcohol can lead to a host of health problems. "From a public health standpoint, caution must be exercised with regard to the support of moderate alcohol use because of the medical and societal problems associated with consumption," they write. SOURCE: Circulation 2003;107:443-447.

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