How do I factor the potential benefits of moderate drinking into my advice to patients who drink rarely or not at all?
Moderate consumption of alcohol (defined by U.S. Dietary Guidelines as up to two drinks a day for men and one for women) has been associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. Achieving a balance between the risks and benefits of alcohol consumption remains difficult, however, because each person has a different susceptibility to diseases potentially caused or prevented by alcohol. The advice you would give to a young person with a family history of alcoholism, for example, would differ from the advice you would give to a middle-aged patient with a family history of premature heart disease. Most experts don’t recommend advising nondrinking patients to begin drinking to reduce their cardiovascular risk. However, if a patient is considering this, discuss safe drinking limits and ways to avoid alcohol-induced harm.
Moderate consumption of alcohol (defined by U.S. Dietary Guidelines as up to two drinks a day for men and one for women) has been associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease.33 Achieving a balance between the risks and benefits of alcohol consumption remains difficult, however, because each person has a different susceptibility to diseases potentially caused or prevented by alcohol. The advice you would give to a young person with a family history of alcoholism, for example, would differ from the advice you would give to a middle-aged patient with a family history of premature heart disease. Most experts don’t recommend advising nondrinking patients to begin drinking to reduce their cardiovascular risk. However, if a patient is considering this, discuss safe drinking limits and ways to avoid alcohol-induced harm.
