Latest Scientific News
Updated information about scientific approaches and research field.
Thursday, 25 February 2021 09:02
Benefits and hazards of wine/alcoholic beverages, the J-curve: from scientific evidence to individual and public health
Two well-known scientists and a family physician1 published three extensive reviews confirming the latest scientific evidence of the J-curve and discussing the methodological challenges, including the Mendelian randomisation (MR) but also possible practical implications of these results at individual and public health level2-4 . The following is a short summary of the very detailed discussion in these three publications. The cardiovascular benefits of moderate drinking were observed already in the 1960’s, but the results were initially disputed by the scientific…
Monday, 25 January 2021 10:55
Consumption of alcoholic beverages and Atrial Fibrillation
Commentary and analysis by Prof. Nicolai Worm (WIC chair). Headlines recently reported “One small drink a day raises risk of irregular heartbeat”. These reports were based on a study, which found that - even though a moderate amount of alcohol can protect against heart failure - drinking the equivalent of a small glass of wine or beer per day was linked to an increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). The researchers assessed the drinking habits and the heart health of…
Monday, 25 January 2021 10:53
Adopting healthy lifestyles can reduce chronic diseases
The current systematic review and meta-analysis of 142 studies from around the world compared participants with least-healthy lifestyles to those with the healthiest lifestyles and found that an overall healthy lifestyle was related to a considerably lower risk to develop cardiovascular diseases or die from cardiovascular disease or any other disease. The results were generally consistent among populations from different continents, racial groups and socioeconomic backgrounds. The authors concluded that adopting healthy lifestyles could also benefit individuals with cardiovascular disease…
Monday, 25 January 2021 10:52
Overall lifestyle pattern matter more than individual factors:Achieving a higher longevity with the Mediterranean way of living
General lifestyle pattern rather than individual factors may contribute to reduce the chronic disease risk and mortality. In this study of an older Spanish population, a higher adherence to a Mediterranean lifestyle - which included dietary habits, physical activity, rest, social habits and conviviality – was related to a 41% lower risk of dying from any disease compared to a lower adherence. The authors summarized their results suggesting the traditional Mediterranean way of living reduces the risk of mortality (thus,…
Monday, 25 January 2021 10:47
Not only how much you drink, but also how and what you drink matters
Evidence exists that not only the amount of alcohol but also other factors may influence the risk of adverse health effects. However, most drinking guidelines focus on average daily or weekly consumption of alcoholic beverages, without providing recommendations on the pattern or type of alcoholic beverage. The aim of this study was to examine the combined effect of various drinking patterns on the risk of health outcomes among regular consumers of alcoholic beverages. More than 300,000 individuals participated in this…