Consensus and Disagreement in the Debate on the Bidirectional Effects of Alcohol Consumption on the Cardiovascular System

Today's world, there is an increasing number of people drinking alcoholic beverages. Drinking alcohol can induce several diseases and is a serious threat to human health, but whether it has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system is controversial. Traditional beliefs have suggested that small to moderate amounts of alcohol consumption (female intake of ≤ 1 standard amounts of alcoholic beverages daily, male intake of ≤ 2 standard amounts of alcoholic beverages daily, 1 standard amounts of alcoholic beverages=12-15 g pure ethanol) might be beneficial for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases (such as atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease), whereas heavy drinking (intake of > 2 standard amounts of alcoholic beverages daily) leads to impairment of the cardiovascular system, the bidirectional effect of a “J” - shaped curve. In recent years, there has been a growing debate on whether traditional ideas are correct, involving many aspects such as the pattern of drinking, the type of alcoholic beverage and the different types of CVD that they affect. This article discusses the consensus and disagreement in the debate on bidirectional effects of drinking on cardiovascular system by pooling and analyzing recent results from relevant studies at home and abroad, finding that although there is no consistent view in the current relevant studies, most research results suggest that small to moderate alcohol consumption may benefit cardiovascular health, especially in middle-aged and elderly people with pre-existing atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. It may provide ideas for developing lifestyle intervention guidelines for cardiovascular disease prevention and control in the future.