Desert Cardiology 3nd International Wine & Heart Health Summit

ABSTRACT - The possible protective effect of alcohol consumption on recurrent myocardial ischemic events after percutaneous transluminal coronary intervention (PCI) was examined in this study. Patients who underwent PCI in our interventional cardiac catheterization laboratory were identified for possible inclusion in this study. They were queried in detail by telephone and clinic interviews. Medical records were reviewed as needed. Information regarding alcohol consumption after PCI and subsequent follow-up events, such as evidence of recurrent myocardial ischemia after PCI, was collected. Patients were classified by alcohol consumption as nondrinkers, low-intake drinkers, and moderate-/high-intake drinkers. Patients were also identified as having suffered a recurrent myocardial ischemic event in the follow-up period or as being event-free. Of the 247 patients for whom data collection was complete, 155 were non-drinkers, 82 were low-intake drinkers, and eight were moderate-/high-intake drinkers. A total of 25 patients experienced follow-up events-22 nondrinkers and three low-intake drinkers. No moderate-/high-intake drinker experienced a follow-up event. A chi-square test for the independence of alcohol consumption and follow-up events indicates a statistically significant dependence between the two variables (p<0.05). These data indicate a negative association between alcohol consumption and the likelihood that a patient will suffer recurrent myocardial ischemia after PCI. A prospective study is warranted to test these initial observations (CVR&R.2001;22:83-85,101).