Overall Heart Health Improved by Drinking Alcohol

People who have a daily drink of beer, wine or distilled spirits (whiskey, rum, tequila, etc.) have significantly better arterial elasticity than nondrinkers.

This is important because low elasticity of arteries causes a rise in systolic blood pressure and is a very strong predictor of cardiovascular disease and heart attack. Moderate drinkers also had significantly better pulse rates than those of abstainers from alcohol.

The research, by Dr. Reuven Zimlichman of Wolfson Medical Center and Tel Aviv University in Israel, studied volunteers in seven European countries. The results were presented at the meetings of the American Society of Hypertension.