ABSTRACT
The effects of ethanol on the cardiovascular system have long been of interest to physicians, scientists, and the public. Although certain genetic backgrounds or pre-existing cardiac disease may leave individuals more vulnerable to ethanol toxicity, in general the detrimental effects of alcohol on cardiac function are linked to heavy consumption and the cardioprotective effects to moderate consumption [1]. Moderate alcohol intake, defined as one drink or less per day for women and two drinks or less per day for men [2], has been shown to reduce coronary heart disease (CHD) in a large number of observational studies [3-5]. The relationship between alcohol intake and total mortality is usually reported as U-or J-shaped and represents the sum of the protective effect of moderate consumption on CHD mortality and the detrimental effect of heavy drinking on other causes of death [2].
