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Does Moderate Alcohol Use Protect Against Heart Disease?

Does Moderate Alcohol Use Protect Against Heart Disease? (0:42)

A study in Sweden found that alcohol in moderation protects the heart for about 15 percent of the population. Watch, Robin Miller, MD, discuss what is considered moderate amounts of alcohol for men and women.

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Does moderate alcohol use really protect against heart disease? A study of over 600 patients with first time heart attacks done in Sweden has found that alcohol in moderation only protected for about 15% of the population, which has a particular type of genetic makeup. Alcohol protects the heart by raising HDL or good cholesterol.

So for 15% of the population, it's great but it's a bit overrated. Okay. So what qualifies moderate alcohol use? One drink a day for a woman, two drinks a day for a man. Okay. And we are not talking this big. Good clarification. [xx] Just in case viewers are getting excited.