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(CNN) —
In a bold move, the World Health Federation released a public policy brief Thursday that says no amount of alcohol is good for the heart.
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"At the World Heart Federation we decided that it is imperative that we talk about alcohol and the harm to health, as well as the social and economic harm, because there is a feeling in the general population, and even among health professionals, that it's good for the heart," said Beatriz Champagne, chair of the committee that produced the report.
"It is not. And the evidence has increasingly shown that there is no level of alcohol consumption that is safe for health," insisted Champagne, who is also the executive director of the Health Coalition of America, an organization dedicated to improving health on the continent.
Criticism was not long in coming.
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Critics were quick to question the federation's stance.
In that regard, they noted that it ignored studies that show a small benefit for some heart conditions when consuming a moderate amount of alcohol.
One such study on the risks of alcohol, published by The Lancet in 2018, was used extensively in the World Heart Federation (WHF) summary.
"But, it seriously misrepresents its findings and reports selectively," said David Spiegelhalter, Winton Professor for the Public Understanding of Risk at the University of Cambridge.
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"Since the WHF report references this document, it's really strange that their conclusion is that 'no amount of alcohol is good for the heart,'" said Emmanuela Gakidou, a professor at the Institute for Metrics and Evaluation of Health from the University of Washington.
Gakidou analyzes the risks of alcohol based on the Global Burden of Disease Estimate, which compiles global data on premature death and disability in more than 300 diseases.
"There are some scientific studies to support their headline. But based on my work in Estimating the Global Burden of Disease, which brings together all available evidence to date, the WHF claim is not supported by currently available scientific evidence." Gakidou explained.
Federation responds to criticism by insisting on the risks of alcohol consumption
In response to these criticisms, Champagne sent CNN the following comment:
“While we stick to our key messages, it is helpful to know that the wording of some parts of the policy brief can lead to misunderstandings. To address this, we have updated the document (specifically page 8) to more clearly articulate our conclusions. And specifically cite the studies through which they were arrived at," Champagne said in an email.
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"In summary, our position is that studies showing a significant cardioprotective effect of alcohol consumption have generally been observational, inconsistent, funded by the alcohol industry, and/or not subject to randomized control. Furthermore, any cardioprotective effect potential is overridden by the well-documented risks and harms, which makes it our judgment that no amount of consumption can be considered good for heart health."
The American Heart Association (AHA), which is a member of the federation, says "moderation is key" when it comes to alcohol.
And this is defined as no more than one drink a day for women and two for men.
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Dr. Mariell Jessup, the AHA's chief scientific and medical officer, told CNN in an email that the organization will "carefully review" the WHF report.
He said the AHA had recently evaluated the evidence on alcohol and cardiovascular risk for its 2021 Scientific Statement for Dietary Guidance, and "we concluded that if you don't drink alcohol, you shouldn't start; and if you do drink alcohol, you should limit your intake." .
A world view
The World Health Federation is a Geneva-based health advocacy organization representing hundreds of heart associations around the world.
It released its public policy brief, "The Impact of Alcohol Consumption on Cardiovascular Health: Myths and Measures," to counter reports that some alcohol is okay or even good for heart health.
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Drinking alcohol increases the risk of various cardiovascular problems, including coronary heart disease, heart failure, hypertension, stroke and aortic aneurysm, according to the report.
Any amount of alcohol, not just heavy drinking, can lead to loss of healthy life, he says.
"Over the last few decades, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease has nearly doubled. And alcohol has played a major role in the incidence of much of that," the report says.
Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death in the world.
In fact, it disproportionately affects people of low socioeconomic status.
In 2019, nearly 2.4 million deaths, not just heart-related, could be attributed to alcohol, according to the report.
Alcohol also negatively affects mental health.
The WHO order on alcohol
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The World Health Organization has called for a 10% relative reduction in per capita alcohol consumption between 2013 and 2030. But, the report says, lack of investment in proven strategies for alcohol reduction, in addition to misinformation of the industry, has hampered progress towards that goal.
"The portrayal of alcohol as necessary for an active social life has diverted attention from the harms of alcohol consumption. Like the frequent and widespread claims that drinking in moderation, such as one glass of red wine a day, can offer protection against cardiovascular disease," said Monika Arora, a member of the WHF Advocacy Committee and a co-author of the report, in a press release.
"These claims are misinformed at best and an attempt by the alcohol industry to mislead the public about the danger of their product at worst."
AlcoholAlcoholic beveragesHeart disease
