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LONDON — If you're a red wine lover, it's possibly the finest Christmas present imaginable. With impeccable timing, a team of researchers from the William Harvey Research Institute in London have announced a major breakthrough in the puzzle over why certain types of the popular tipple appear to prevent heart disease.The findings, published in 20/27 December Nature, by Roger Corder and colleagues at the Barts and London School of Medicine, Queen Mary, University of London, UK, may provide vital clues to explain the so-called French paradox — the fact that heart disease among French men and other Mediterranean populations is lower than in the UK, despite relatively high consumption of saturated fats.The beneficial effects of alcohol on heart disease have been a focus of heated debate within the scientific community in recent years. Although several studies have suggested moderate consumption can reduce the risks, it has been less clear whether only certain types of alcohol have the desired effect and, if so, why.The latest findings appear to provide a plausible explanation. Scientists at the institute mainly focus their research on vascular endothelium, the flat endothelial cells which line all blood vessels in a single layer and which have numerous functions.They established that red wine appears to inhibit the production of endothelin-1, a protein that has long been incriminated in the formation of the early signs of artery disease. Previous studies have shown that suppression of ET-1 can reduce the risk of a heart attack in those with heart disease.According to the latest work, which involved testing 23 red wines, four white wines, a rose and one red non-alcoholic grape juice, there was a direct correlation between the level of chemicals in the wine called polyphenols and the production of the damaging protein in bovine artery wall cells. The higher the level of polyphenols in the wine, the greater the inhibition of ET-1 production. Wines containing the Cabernet Sauvignon grape — which is rich in polyphenols — appeared to have the strongest effect.Roger Corder said more and more evidence is accumulating about the significance of ET-1. "Extensive work has been done on the role of this protein and we have come to the opinion that it's one of the most important molecules in heart disease. We were looking to see if we could explain the French paradox by red wine's ability to inhibit endothelial synthesis."A recent study by cardiovascular experts at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (Circulation 2001, 104:1114-1118) found ET-1 was a major contributor to the constriction of atherosclerotic coronary arteries. They infused BQ-123, an endothelin antagonist, and measured the effects within clogged arteries and healthy arteries. The responses showed the greatest dilation took place in diseased areas — suggesting ET-1 accounted for much of the constriction.Further clues to the role of the protein emerged from a study by German scientists showing that ET-1 could be stimulated by cocaine. The finding is thought to explain why some cocaine users can be susceptible to myocardial infarctions.Although the wine testing was performed on bovine arteries, Corder said there's no reason to suspect it works any less effectively on human tissue. One of the questions the research throws up is whether moderate but regular red wine consumption can not only prevent damage to the arteries but also reverse it once it has become established? "Cardiovascular disease is a continually evolving process," explained Corder. "So there always remains the potential to modify ET-1 production. The French paradox is about stopping atherosclerosis from an early age. If you've got fatty streaks in your blood vessels in your late teens or early twenties, then drinking red wine may well suppress that from happening."So if it's your health you're primarily concerned with this festive season, a good Cabernet Sauvignon could be the choice for you. But those more immediately concerned with having a good time will probably plump for a glass of bubbly after University of Surrey researchers proved what we all suspected — champagne really does go to your head more quickly.During a study of 12 (no doubt enthusiastic) volunteers, half were offered champagne and half flat champagne — purged of all its bubbles courtesy of a whisk. After five minutes, the fizzy champagne drinkers had an average of 0.54 milligrams of alcohol per millilitre of blood compared to just 0.30 milligrams in the flat-champagne group.At the end of the 40-minute experiment, the fizzy drinkers averaged 0.7 milligrams and the 'flat' drinkers 0.58 milligrams. Under current laws, the drink-drive limit is 0.8 milligrams.The researchers concluded that it's probably best not to drive after drinking champagne. But, it remains unclear why the bubbles speed up the effect of the alcohol. One theory is that the carbon dioxide somehow speeds the flow of alcohol into the intestines, which are thought to absorb around 80% of the alcohol we drink.Fizzy champagne drinkers were slightly less vigilant than their 'flat' rivals and, in a series of computer experiments, took fractionally longer to notice peripheral objects.Sadly, the research makes no mention of which group enjoyed themselves most and the conclusion by lead researcher, psychologist Fran Ridout — that drinking fizzy water with your wine 'could potentially have the same effect as champagne' — seems unlikely to attract any further research interest.

Fresh heart for red wine drinkers

Seasonal science suggests that red wine does you good and that the bubbles in champagne do go to your head.

Dec 30, 2001

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