Report: Red Wine May Not Help Hearts

DALLAS (AP) â€” Although drinking red wine may be an appealing ritual for heart health, medical authorities caution that it's not the most proven. <br><br>To ward off heart attacks, doctors with the

Tuesday, January 23rd 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

DALLAS (AP) â€” Although drinking red wine may be an appealing ritual for heart health, medical authorities caution that it's not the most proven.

To ward off heart attacks, doctors with the American Heart Association say nothing beats the time-honored practices â€” eating healthfully, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight.

``We want to make clear that there are other risk-reduction options that are well-documented and free of the potential hazards associated with alcohol consumption,'' Dr. Ira J. Goldberg, a member of the AHA's Nutrition Committee, said in a statement.

``There is no scientific proof that drinking wine or any other alcoholic beverage can replace these effective conventional measures.''

The recommendations were published Monday in Circulation, an AHA journal.

Goldberg said studies suggest that drinking a moderate amount of red wine can increase blood levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, often called good cholesterol.

However, a similar increase is seen with exercise programs and medication, Goldberg said.

Much of the hypothesis that red wine counteracts the effects of dietary cholesterol and saturated fat came from population surveys. They showed lower rates of heart disease, despite high-fat diets, in parts of Europe where people drink wine regularly.

But Goldberg said this observation could be attributed to other differences in diet between Americans and Europeans.

Dr. Brian Baldwin, a Dallas cardiologist, emphasizes moderation for those who choose to consume alcohol.

But, he added, ``no doctor emphasizes alcohol to their patients.''