A new report published in Age and Ageing journal has drawn a correlation between moderate drinking and the reduction of frailty and cardiovascular disease in older adults.
The report, co-authored by Dr. Luigi Ferrucci, of the National Institute on Aging – part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), suggests that moderate alcohol consumption leads to reduced inflammation. Previous studies by the NIH found that levels of inflammation increase as we age, contributing to age-related frailty and illness.
Evidence drawn from a University of Central Florida (UCF) study of 3200 adults aged 65 and older revealed lower levels of inflammation in those that consumed moderate amounts of alcohol. The results also showed moderate drinkers were less frail than heavy drinkers or those who abstained from alcohol.
Further evidence was drawn from a Women’s Health Study conducted by the Harvard Medical School, which analysed the data of 26,000 adults. Moderate drinkers (1 glass of beer or wine a day) were found to be at a much lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, the study identified a 21 per cent reduction in inflammation markers in moderate drinkers compared with abstainers or occasional drinkers and a 13 per cent reduction when compared with heavy drinkers.
Read more at www.medicalnewstoday.com
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