Alcohol 'quickly' cuts heart risk (CNN)

[eppur_se_muova]

Middle-aged non-drinkers can quickly reduce their risk of heart disease by introducing a daily tipple to their diet, South Carolina researchers say.

New moderate drinkers were 38% less likely to develop heart disease than those who stayed tee-total, a four-year study involving 7,500 people found.

Those who drank only wine showed the most benefit, the researchers reported in the American Medical Journal.

But cardiac experts warned alcohol was not a panacea for good heart health.

The results came from a study of 7,500 people taking part in a trial to look at risk factors for atherosclerosis - hardening of the arteries.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7283273.stm

[SharonAnn]

1. And for those of us who are recovering alcoholics? Grape juice?

[madrchsod]

2. actually i think so

it`s not the alcohol ,it`s the stuff in the grapes

[mopinko]

5. i think it is as much the relaxation as the grape.

i believe that is what further studies pointed to. a little pat yourself on the back for a few minutes may well be the real avenue.
this is very old news, tho. deeper studies are out there.

[kestrel91316]

3. Time to head back to Trader Joe's for some more 2-buck Chuck!

A bottle of wine lasts me 6 nights - I have a little Waterford Lismore claret glass of it with dinner, is all. Perfect portion control, and makes me feel pampered.

[mzmolly]

4. Woo hoo!

:toast:

*hiccup*

[HysteryDiagnosis]

6. Not so much the alcohol as it is the Pycnogenol.... as evidenced

by these tawdry papers.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18037769?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

Pycnogenol, French maritime pine bark extract, augments endothelium-dependent vasodilation in humans.

Pycnogenol would be useful for treating various diseases whose pathogeneses involve endothelial dysfunction.


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16708123?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlusDrugs1
Comparison of Pycnogenol and Daflon in treating chronic venous insufficiency: a prospective, controlled study.

A significant level of improvement was reached after 4 weeks of treatment in most patients (p < .05) of the Pycnogenol group while clinical improvement was significant only in 6 subjects in the Daflon group. The positive effects of treatment with Pycnogenol after 8 weeks were significantly larger in comparison with the Daflon group. In conclusion, this study confirms the fast clinical efficacy of Pycnogenol in patients with chronic venous insufficiency and venous microangiopathy and its superiority-considering the evaluated parameters-to the combination of diosmin and hesperidin.


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16703193?ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

Cramps and muscular pain: prevention with pycnogenol in normal subjects, venous patients, athletes, claudicants and in diabetic microangiopathy.


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11351356?ordinalpos=5&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

Treatment of vascular retinopathies with Pycnogenol.

The ophthalmoscopy and the electroretinogram (ERG) also confirmed the beneficial effects of Pycnogenol. The mechanism of action of Pycnogenol may be related to its free radical (FR) scavenging, anti-inflammatory and capillary protective activities. It has been suggested that Pycnogenol may bind to the blood vessel wall proteins and mucopolysaccharides and produce a capillary 'sealing' effect, leading to a reduced capillary permeability and oedema formation. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[hvn_nbr_2]

8. I'm puzzled. Why did you call these papers "tawdry"? nt

[PhiBetaCretin1]

7. Quick -- get me a drink!

This is great news!

:toast: