Maciej Malinski and colleagues from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in the US studied data from 14,125 male physicians, enrolled in the Physicians' Health Study by February 1984, who reported past or current treatment for hypertension but had no history of myocardial infarction (heart attack), stroke, cancer or liver disease.
Investigating the relationship between alcohol consumption and both deaths due to any cause and deaths due to CVD, they found strong evidence of alcohol's protective effects.
"Compared with nondrinkers, weekly and daily drinkers had a significantly lower risk of death of 28 per cent and 27 per cent. Similarly there was a reduced risk of CVD mortality with increased levels of alcohol intake," write the authors in yesterday's issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine (164:623-628).
They also found that compared to participants who rarely or never drank, weekly drinkers had a 39 per cent lower risk of dying from CVD, and daily drinkers had a 44 per cent lower risk of CVD mortality.
"In summary, this study suggests that light to moderate alcohol consumption among men with hypertension is associated with a reduction in risk of total and cardiovascular mortality," the researchers write.
They add that in light of major clinical and public health problems associated with heavy drinking, recommendations regarding alcohol use must be made on an individual basis after carefully assessing cardiovascular risk profile and the risks and benefits of any changes in drinking behaviour.
"However, patients with hypertension who are able to maintain light to moderate alcohol intake have no compelling reason to change their lifestyle and eliminate a possibly beneficial habit."