Background:? The aim of this study was to identify the acute effects of ethanol on the relationship between sleep and heart rate variability (HRV) during sleep. Methods:? Ten healthy male university students were enrolled in this study. An alcoholic beverage was given to each subject at a dosage of 0 (control), 0.5 (low dose: LD), or 1.0?g (high dose: HD) of pure ethanol/kg of body weight. All experiments were performed at 3-week intervals. On the day of the experiment, a Holter electrocardiogram was attached to the subject for a 24-hour period, and the subject was instructed to drink the above-described dosage of alcoholic beverage 100?minutes before going to bed; polysomnography was then performed for 8?hours. Power spectral analysis of the HRV was performed using the maximum entropy method, and the low- (LF: 0.04 to 0.15?Hz) and high-frequency (HF: 0.15 to 0.4 Hz) components along with LF/HF ratio were calculated. Results:? As alcohol consumption increased, the heart rate increased and the spectral power of HRV measured at each frequency range decreased. Higher doses of ethanol also increased the LF/HF ratio compared with the measured ratio of the control group. Conclusions:? Acute ethanol intake inhibits parasympathetic nerve activity and results in predominance of sympathetic nerve activity during sleep, in a dosage-dependent manner. The results of this study suggest that ethanol interferes with the restorative functions of sleep.

Copyright © 2011 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Sagawa Y, Kondo H, Matsubuchi N, Takemura T, Kanayama H, Kaneko Y, Kanbayashi T, Hishikawa Y, Shimizu T.

In February, 2007, 26 scientists from 15 countries met at IARC in Lyon, France, to reassess the carcinogenicity of alcoholic beverages. The Working Group reviewed the epidemiological publications on the possible association between alcohol consumption and cancer at 27 anatomical sites.

A relative risk increase for consumption of 50 g/day has been established for the following cancers:
- Oral Cavity, Pharynx, Larynx, Oesophagus: 2-3 x
- Liver: Difficult to quantify
- Breast: 1.5 x
- Colorectum: 1.4 x

Furthermore, in populations that are genetically deficient in the activity of an enzyme involved in the metabolism of ethanol, much higher risks for cancer, particularly oesophageal cancer, after alcohol consumption have been reported than in populations with a fully active enzyme. This enzyme deficiency, a condition that is particularly prevalent in certain eastern-Asian populations, causes a strong facial flushing response, physical discomfort, and severe toxic reactions.

As these associations were observed with different types of alcoholic beverages, and given the carcinogenicity of ethanol in animals, ethanol in alcoholic beverages was classified as “carcinogenic to humans (Group 1)”.

The adverse effects of drinking and smoking do not simply add up, but seem to be multiplicative.

Read the full press release from the IARC.

The first scientific study of the relationship between alcohol consumption and atherosclerosis was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1904. The first epidemiological study to report that moderate drinkers exhibit greater longevity than abstainers or heavy drinkers was published in 1926 by Raymond Pearl. Most researchers now believe that the most important ingredient is the alcohol itself. Other researchers believe it is the act of relaxing while drinking that causes longevity that has a stronger association with longevity. Of ten major studies, three found stronger evidence for wine, three for beer, three for liquor, and one study found no difference between alcoholic beverages. The major cause of death in the U.S. is heart disease and most research finds that moderate consumption of alcohol reduces coronary fatalities in the range of 40% to 60%. The mechanisms by which alcohol reduces coronary events are becoming increasingly documented. Research has found that alcohol improves blood lipid profile (increases HDL and reduces LDL), decreases thrombosis (reduces platelet aggregation, reduces fibrinogen and increases fibrinolysis), reduces blood pressure, increases coronary blood flow, and reduces blood insulin levels.

The French paradox is the apparent opposition between a diet rich in saturated fats and alcohol and comparatively low rates of stomach and colon cancer and the second-lowest world incidence of heart disease after Japan. A forum is available to discuss topics on The French paradox.