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The cardioprotective effects of alcohol consumption: does cardiac autonomic function play a role?

  • CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
  • Published:
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Abstract

Moderate alcohol consumption has cardioprotective properties and several mechanisms have been proposed. In over 4,000 men and women from the Whitehall II study, mean heart rate variability levels were lowest among those consuming the most alcohol per week, but in multivariate analyses no statistical associations were found. The cardiac autonomic nervous system is unlikely to explain much of the cardioprotective properties of alcohol.

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Abbreviations

CHD:

coronary heart disease

LF:

low frequency

HF:

high frequency

HRV:

heart rate variability

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Acknowledgements

The Whitehall II study has been supported by grants from the UK Medical Research Council; UK Economic and Social Research Council; British Heart Foundation; UK Health and Safety Executive; Department of Health, UK; National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (HL36310), US, NIH: National Institute on Aging (AG13196), US, NIH; Agency for Health Care Policy Research (HS06516); and the John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation Research Networks on Successful Midlife Development and Socio-economic Status and Health. MM is supported by a Medical Research Council Professorship. AB is supported by the British Heart Foundation. We also thank all participating civil service departments and their welfare, personnel, and establishment officers; the Occupational Health and Safety Agency; the Council of Civil Service Unions; all participating civil servants in the Whitehall II study; and all members of the Whitehall II study team. AB had full access to all of the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 6BT, UK

    Annie Britton & Michael Marmot

  2. Cardiac and Vascular Sciences, St George’s, University of London, London, UK

    Marek Malik

Authors
  1. Annie Britton
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  2. Marek Malik
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  3. Michael Marmot
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Correspondence to Annie Britton.

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Britton, A., Malik, M. & Marmot, M. The cardioprotective effects of alcohol consumption: does cardiac autonomic function play a role? . Eur J Epidemiol 23, 105–108 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-007-9213-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-007-9213-3

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