Older adults who consume 1 to 7 alcoholic beverages a week tend to have lower blood levels of some inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein than those who do not drink, according to a report in the February 10th print issue of Circulation.

The current study is the first to focus on the association between alcohol intake and inflammatory markers such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1), said lead author Stefano Volpato, M.D., M.P.H.

The Italian research team analyzed 2,574 “well-functioning” men and women ages 70 to 79 years who participated in the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study. One drink was equivalent to 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine, or a shot of liquor.

The investigators found a “J-shaped” relationship between weekly alcohol intake and blood levels of 2 markers, IL-6 and CRP. Men and women who drank 1 to 7 drinks a week had the lowest levels of those 2 markers compared with levels in non-drinkers. People who consumed 8 drinks or more each week tended to have higher levels of both markers compared both with non-drinkers and moderate drinkers. The “J-shaped” relationship was identifiable when results were plotted on a graph based on number of drinks per week. The investigators did not find any association between alcohol intake and levels of the other 2 markers, TNF-alpha and PAI-1.

The association of moderate alcohol intake with lower levels of IL-6 and CRP suggests that alcohol consumed at those levels may have an anti-inflammatory effect and, therefore, might lower cardiovascular disease risk. However, Volpato said the findings “are based on an observational study, and more studies are needed to confirm the association.”