A new study suggests that senior citizens who indulge in drinking, even if it's just a glass of wine or beer with dinner, may end up harming their hearts, with women drinkers being at a greater risk.
Drinking is not good for health even for those who indulge in moderate drinking. A new study published Tuesday, May 26, investigates whether the risk of alcohol consumption may have been misunderstood in the elderly.
The new study indicates that effect of moderate drinking might include harm to the heart in case of a senior citizen. Moreover, women seem to be at greater risk than men as far as alcohol-related heart damage is concerned, the researchers found.
Lead researcher Dr. Alexandra Goncalves said, "In an elderly population, increasing alcohol intake is associated with subtle alterations in heart structure and function, with women appearing more susceptible than men to the toxic effects of alcohol."
Goncalves is a postdoctoral research fellow at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, CBS News noted.
The study involved over 4,400 adults between the ages of 71 and 81, and researchers found that even moderate alcohol intake of two or more servings a day for men and one or more for women was linked with subtle adjustments in cardiac structure and function. While the affected men experienced enlarged left ventricle walls, the women experienced a slight reduction in heart function, according to reports on Washington Post.
That being said, the association seen in the research does not confirm a cause-and-effect link.
Considering that other research has tipped off the benefits of some alcohol consumptions for adults, one heart expert questioned the findings.
Dr. Gregg Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles said, "While heavy consumption of alcohol can result in heart disease and heart failure, a number of studies have suggested that light to moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a lower risk of heart attacks and strokes compared to non-drinkers."
Dr. Fonarow, who was not involved in the study claims that the finding of this new research that linked moderate alcohol consumption to structural changes in the heart, negated the outcome of other research.
"Thus, any clinical significance of these findings is unclear at the present time," said Dr. Fonarow.
According to the American Heart Association, those who drink alcohol should do so in moderation i.e. an average of one or two drinks a day for men and one drink daily for women, however the associations warns against starting to drink alcohol for possible heart benefits.
Fonarow explains a "drink" is equal to one 12-ounce beet, 4 ounces of wine, 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits, or 1 ounce of 100-proof spirits.
The report was published online in the Journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging.
