Despite his words of warning about alcohol use, Zakhari acknowledged that "how moderate alcohol consumption protects against risk of coronary artery disease is a very important question." Thus far, he noted, promising molecular studies have focused on some of the factors involved in atherogenesis (the formation of lipid deposits in the arteries) and coronary artery stenosis (a narrowing of the coronary artery). "Extensive research is needed in the study of other factors involved in atherogenesis," he said, "including nitric oxide, hormones, platelet activation, eicosanoids, and cytokines, all of which alcohol use may effect."
This is, in fact, what Emeson hopes to do: further explore the mechanisms of alcohol's apparent reduction of CHD risk. "One of the things that alcohol may do is alter the balance of something called 'cytokines,'" he said. "Cytokines are hormone-like proteins, biological substances that almost all cells make, particularly blood cells. I think that alcohol may alter the balance of cytokines, which may tip the balance in favor of protection against atherosclerosis. We may one day find there is a way of accomplishing this without using alcohol."
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Contact: Eugene E. Emeson, M.D.
emeson@uic.edu
312-996-4812
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
13-Sep-2000