纽约（路透社健康新闻）：7月18日《美国心脏病学会》杂志上的一份心血管健康研究显示，适量的酒精摄入可降低老年人发生充血性心力衰竭的危险。
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这项正在进行的心血管健康研究是1989年发起的，评价了全国社区内接受医疗保险者的健康状态。西雅图华盛顿大学的Chris L. Bryson博士和其同事对5888例65岁以上的老年人随访7到10年，研究适量酒精摄入（定义为每周1～6杯酒）与充血性心力衰竭之间的关系。
5595例受试者在基线水平具有发生充血性心力衰竭的危险，随访期间共发生1056次充血性心力衰竭事件。
与戒酒者相比，适量饮酒者发生充血性心力衰竭的危险比为0.82，每周饮酒7～13杯者的危险比为0.66。初始的心肌梗死对两组饮酒者发生心力衰竭的危险几乎没有影响。
Bryson博士指出，“这些数据表明适量饮酒与充血性心力衰竭的发生呈负相关，且这种负相关并非完全由非致死心肌梗死的减少而引起。”
Bryson博士认为，酒精“可改善血流动力学或改变影响充血性心力衰竭的发展或临床表现的其它因素而发挥保护效应”，尽管其确切机制还需要进一步研究。
Alcohol Consumption in Elderly Linked With Lower Risk of Heart Failure
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jul 21 - Data from the Cardiovascular Health Study show that moderate alcohol consumption may reduce risk of congestive heart failure among older adults, researchers report in the July 18 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
The ongoing Cardiovascular Health Study was launched in 1989 to follow the health status of Medicare recipients living in communities across the country. Dr. Chris L. Bryson of the University of Washington, Seattle, and associates investigated whether there was an association between moderate alcohol consumption -- defined as one to six drinks a week -- and the risk of congestive heart failure in 5888 subjects who were at least 65 years old. The subjects were followed for 7 to 10 years
There were 5,595 subjects at risk for incipient congestive heart failure at baseline and 1056 events occurred during follow-up.
The hazard ratio for congestive heart failure among moderate drinkers was 0.82 compared with abstainers. Those who had 7 to 13 drinks per week had a HR=0.66 compared with abstainers. Adjustment for incipient MI had very little effect on the risk of heart failure in the two groups of drinkers.
Dr. Bryson notes that "these data suggest an inverse association between moderate alcohol consumption and incident congestive heart failure that is not entirely mediated through a reduction in nonfatal MI."
Alcohol "may exert a protective effect by favorably altering hemodynamics or influencing other factors that affect either the development or clinical presentation of congestive heart failure," Dr. Bryson suggests, although the exact mechanism requires further investigation.
编辑：蓝色幻想
