Moderate beer consumption and positive biochemical changes in patients with coronary atherosclerosis.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of moderate beer consumption on lipid metabolism and antioxidant activity in patients (pts) with coronary artery disease (CAD). SUBJECTS: Forty-eight male pts with CAD not alcohol beverages consumers were randomly divided into experimental (EG) and control (CG) groups, 24 pts each. SETTING: Rehovot University Hospital, Israel. INTERVENTION: Every patient of the EG during a period of 30 consecutive days consumed 330 ml of Maccabee beer (> 20 g of alcohol). The pts of the CG did not consume alcohol during the trial period. METHODS: A wide range of tests including total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, total tocopherol and alpha-tocopherol. RESULTS: Only in the pts of the EG were found a tendency to an increase of the level of HDL-C and a statistically significant rise in the level of total tocopherol (P < 0.025) and alpha-tocopherol (P < 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: Even a short period of moderate beer consumption leads to some favourable biochemical changes in blood of pts with CAD which are widely regarded as indicators of CAD prevention.