alcohol
Maria Dalamagka Does moderate, prudent drinking protect the heart and arteries? Two analyses say, actually that the answer is yes. But they raise a bigger issue: What should we do with this information? The answer to that question may come as a surprise. Let's look at the findings first. Researchers from the University of Calgary, University of Texas Health Science Center, and Harvard Medical School scoured the medical literature for long-term studies that compared drinking habits with the development of cardiovascular disease. Of the 4,235 studies they identified, 84 met the researchers' strict criteria. When combined, these studies included more than two million men and women who were followed for an average of 11 years. Using a technique called meta-analysis, the researchers pooled results from the 84 publications and analyzed the data as if they were from one gigantic study. Compared with no alcohol use, moderate alcohol use over the average study duration • reduced the...