A Drink a Day Keeps the Doctor Away (If You Are 40 – 70 Years Old)

A new study from the European Heart Journal says a drink a day lowers the risk of heart failure for men and women ages 40 -70.

You're welcome.

Considering that the study was published on January 20, the day before my 40th birthday, this study feels like a birthday gift from the European Heart Journal.

The study says men ages 40 - 70 who drink seven "comparably sized glasses" of wine, beer and/or spirits per week will see their risk for heart failure drop by 20 percent. For women the risk of heart failure drops by 16 percent.

"These findings suggest that drinking alcohol in moderation does not contribute to an increased risk of heart failure and may even be protective," said Dr. Scott Solomon, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

"Comparably sized glasses" seems to be a flexible term open to interpretation. We have some pretty big glasses at my house, but further investigation shows that the study considered one drink as equaling 14 grams of alcohol. That's the equivalent of a small glass of wine, about a half-pint of beer, or less than a shot of liquor.

"As we have seen in many studies, moderate alcohol use may be protective," said Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of women and heart disease at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

Cheers!