moderate alcohol and cardioprotection???? a response

Tim Naimi published an editorial in the journal Addiction, which argues strongly that moderate alcohol consumption should not be considered cardioprotective at this point and that we should not be recommending that patients drink.  He (and coauthors) site impressive data from several Mandelian randomization studies (which decreases the likelihood of confounding) which seem to contradict a direct role of alcohol in decreasing both CAD biomarkers as well as several of the attributed “health-promoting” effects of moderate alcohol (cardiac, but also cognitive function, blood pressure, and prenatal exposure with both balance and academic achievement in kids). Article attached. (I did get permission from him to circulate this). 


see alcohol mandelian randomization addiction2015 in dropbox, or doi:10.1111/add.12828

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