La consommation reguliere et moderee de boissons alcoolisees est associee a une diminution de la morbimortalite coronarienne et par accidents vasculaires cerebraux ischemiques sans qu'il y ait a ce jour de preuves d'une relation de cause a effet. Decrite avec les principales boissons alcoolisees, cette relation pourrait etre liee a un effet alcool preponderant, meme si l'action benefique des microconstituants antioxydants apportes en grandes quantites par le vin rouge doit etre prise en consideration. L'alcool agirait principalement en favorisant l'augmentation de la concentration du HDL-cholesterol et en diminuant celle du LDL cholesterol. Les antioxydants d'origine polyphenolique reduiraient l'oxydabilite des lipoparticules LDL. L'alcool agit egalement sur les principaux parametres de la coagulation : diminution de l'agregation plaquettaire, effet fibrinolytique et anti-procoagulants. Au total de nombreux arguments experimentaux et epidemiologiques plaident en faveur d'un effet antiatherogene et antithrombotique des boissons alcoolisees consommees regulierement et en quantite moderee.
Moderate and regularly alcohol consumption reduces death rate from coronary heart disease and thrombotic stroke. This beneficial correlation observed with several alcoholic beverages seems to be mainly due to an ethanol effect. However the particular role of microconstituants contained in red wine must be considered. The mechanism of the putative protective effect of alcohol intake is mediated through the elevation of HDL cholesterol and through the aintioxydative effect of polyphenolic compounds. In addition, alcohol acts favourably on platelets agregation, fibrinolysis and several other coagulation parameters. Despite these explanations are yet speculative and there is no causal relation between alcohol and reduced coronary death, epidemiological data are consistent with the belief that daily consumption of one or two glasses of an alcoholic beverage has salutary effect on health.