MODERATE BEER CONSUMPTION AND THE BLOOD-COAGULATION IN PATIENTS WITH CORONARY-ARTERY DISEASE

Objectives. To evaluate the influence of a short period of moderate be er consumption on the status of the thrombolitic activity in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Subjects and design. From 28 patie nts with two- or three-vessel CAD 22 were randomly assigned to an expe rimental group (EG) and six to control group (CG). Before and after co mpletion of the study every one of the 28 patients was examined and a wide range of laboratory tests was performed. Setting. A University Ho spital in Israel. Intervention. Of the EG, 22 patients consumed 330 mL of beer day(-1) (20 g of alcohol) for the 30-day period in addition t o the usual antiatherosclerotic diet. Patients of the CG did not consu me alcohol beverages. Main outcome measures. Fibrinogen, prothrombin t ime (PT), coagulant activity of Factor VII (F VIIc) and Factor VII ant igen (F VIIag), and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) levels were studied. Results. After the investigation a statistically significant decrease was found in F VIIc (P < 0.01) and F VIIag (P < 0.001) and to a lesser extent a decrease in the value of PAI. Fibrinogen and PT rem ained unchanged in the EG also. Conclusions. Even a short period of mo derate beer consumption results in a decrease in thrombogenic activity . The only sensitive tests were F VIIc and F VIIag. The decrease in th rombogenic activity may be the main cause of decreased mortality in pa tients with CAD who consume moderate quantities of alcoholic beverages .