Are we not drinking again, but are we being treated?

When alcohol protects against blood clots

Kirill Stasevich, CompulentaCan alcohol protect anyone from blood vessel thrombosis?

– Yes, and it happens. However, under two conditions: you must be a man, and your weekly dose (in terms of pure ethanol – VM) should not exceed 250 ml. Just try to "take on the chest" more (in any equivalent, even in beer, even in wine) – and the vessels will again be under threat.

The formation of blood clots in the vessels, whether it is arteries or veins, depends on many factors, including smoking, body weight, age, etc. But at the same time there is a strong opinion that alcohol saves from venous thrombosis: it allegedly prevents platelet aggregation, increases the level of tissue plasminogen activator that promotes the resorption of blood clots, and reduces fibrinogen, which serves as a building material for blood clots.

However, the data on the effect of alcohol on the formation of blood clots have so far been very contradictory: some researchers said that libations prevent thrombosis, others, on the contrary, came to the opposite conclusions. Scientists from the University of Aarhus (Denmark) tried to understand the issue.

In an article in Thrombosis and Haemostasis (Gaborit et al., Alcohol intake and risk of venous thromboembolism. A Danish follow-up study) the authors analyze the relationship between alcohol consumption and the likelihood of thromboembolism. The work is supported by impressive statistics: the study used data on 27 thousand men and 29 thousand women collected over more than ten years.

The results of the analysis are quite curious: alcohol does prevent the formation of blood clots, but only in men and only with moderate alcohol consumption (if the weekly dose is not lower than 70 and not more than 250 ml). If the representatives of the stronger sex "slurped" less or more, the probability of thrombosis in them is not much, but increased. At the same time, as it was said, the type of drink did not play a role – it was possible to treat yourself even with beer, even with wine, the vessels still became healthier (although the authors keep quiet about stronger alcohol).

Unfortunately, ladies, you have not been able to detect such an effect. And in this sense, men, I think, have every right to skip a glass of beer on a Friday evening – after all, they "just take care of their health."

Prepared based on Medical Xpress: Drinking alcohol to lower the risk of venous thrombosis?

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru08.07.2013