Trendspotting: Does a Drink a Day Keep the Doctor Away?

NewsWire: 4/9/22

• According to a new study, drinking alcohol does not protect cardiac health. These findings overturn long-held beliefs that moderate drinking helps the heart. (The New York Times)
  
• NH: Everyone agrees that heavy drinking is bad for your health. But numerous observational studies have found that moderate drinkers have healthier hearts and longer lives than those who abstain entirely. As a result, many people believe a drink a day can improve heart health and longevity. But this belief may be wrong.
• According to a new paper published in JAMA, any amount of alcohol consumption increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. The research team analyzed the medical records and genes of over +370K people. Using established data on gene variants “that predispose a person to heavier or lighter drinking" as well as other health behaviors, the team was able to control for risk factors much more accurately than earlier researchers.
• The paper concluded that moderate drinkers have stronger hearts because they have “healthier lifestyle behaviors than abstainers.” For example, they have lower rates of smoking and higher rates of physical activity as well as other healthy genetically informed traits which may not be directly observable. In other words, while it's observationally true that moderate drinkers have healthier hearts and lower mortality than abstainers, it's not true that any given individual can achieve these goals by drinking more.
• In short, a drink a day does not improve your health. This is a classic example of the statisticians' old dictum: Correlation is not causation.
• The research team did agree that the health risk rises exponentially according to drinks consumed per week. Up to 7, they agree, the risk is "modest." Between 7 and 14, however, the risk becomes significant. And over 14, the risk quickly becomes a major health concern. How much is one drink? It's the amount of alcohol found in one 12-oz can of beer or one 1.5 oz. shot of distilled spirits.
• Otherwise, enjoy your Saturday!

Did You Know?

• Coca-Cola Goes Meta. Coca-Cola has a new soda flavor, and it tastes like….pixels? The drink, Zero Sugar Byte, is being touted as the first soda that was “born in the metaverse.” It first appeared in Fortnite as part of a larger brand promotion called Pixel Point. On Pixel Point, a digital island, users can play four different mini-games. The drink will be available for Americans to try in real life starting in early May; it won’t be sold in stores, but on Coca-Cola’s website only. Zero Sugar Byte is the second release in Coca-Cola’s Creations line, which launched in February with a red-tinted soda called Starlight that was marketed as “space-flavored.” (Those who tried it reported that it tasted like ginger ale.) The Creations line is Coca-Cola’s attempt to hook younger consumers with a blend of gaming and metaverse content. They clearly haven’t been paying attention to the metaverse’s poll numbers. (See “Do People Even Want the Metaverse?”)