Drink in moderation — or not at all

The potential heart-healthy benefits of red wine and other alcoholic drinks look promising. Those who drink moderate amounts of alcohol, including red wine, seem to have a lower risk of heart disease.

However, it's important to understand that studies comparing moderate drinkers to nondrinkers might overestimate the benefits of moderate drinking because nondrinkers might already have health problems.

More research is needed before we know whether red wine is better for your heart than other forms of alcohol, such as beer or spirits.

The American Heart Association and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute don't recommend that you start drinking alcohol just to prevent heart disease. Alcohol can be addictive and can cause or worsen other health problems.

Drinking too much alcohol increases your risk of:

• Liver and pancreas diseases
• Heart failure
• High blood pressure
• Certain types of cancer
• Stroke
• Accidents, violence and suicide
• Weight gain and obesity

Avoid alcohol completely if you:

• Are pregnant
• Have a personal or strong family history of alcoholism
• Have a liver or pancreas disease associated with alcohol consumption
• Have heart failure or a weak heart
• Take certain medications

If you have questions about the benefits and risks of alcohol, talk to your doctor about specific recommendations for you.

If you already drink red wine, do so in moderation. For healthy adults, that means:

• Up to one drink a day for women of all ages.
• Up to one drink a day for men older than age 65.
• Up to two drinks a day for men age 65 and younger. The limit for men is higher because men generally weigh more than women and have more of an enzyme that metabolizes alcohol.

A drink is defined as:

• 12 ounces (355 milliliters) of beer
• 5 ounces (148 milliliters) of wine
• 1.5 ounces (44 milliliters) of 80-proof distilled spirits