Study: 1 or 2 Alcoholic Drinks a Day Boosts Longevity Among Some Men After Heart Attack

By Denise Mann WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

March 27, 2012 -- After a heart attack, men who continue to drink one or two alcoholic beverages a day may live longer than heavy drinkers or non-drinkers.

Those findings appear in the European Heart Journal.

"For many men after experiencing a heart attack, major diet and lifestyle changes are recommended by their physicians, [but] our study indicates that for men already consuming moderate amounts of alcohol, continuing to consume moderate amounts may be beneficial for long-term survival after a heart attack," researcher Jennifer K. Pai, ScD, tells WebMD in an email. She is an assistant professor of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Moderate amounts of alcohol may boost levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol. It may also make blood less likely to clot and reduce levels of inflammation in the body, Pai says.

The study tracked nearly 2,000 male heart attack survivors for about 20 years. Every four years, they were asked about their alcohol use and diet.

Men who had two drinks a day (with a drink being 4 ounces of wine, a bottle or can of beer, or a shot of liquor) were classified as "moderate" drinkers.

During the study, 482 of the men died. Moderate drinkers were 14% less likely to die from any cause and 42% less likely to die from heart disease than non-drinkers.

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Moderate Drinking Helps Men After Heart Attack?