Evaluation of cardiovascular risk biomarkers after moderate consumption of red wine and cachaça in a randomized crossover trial: The Wine and Cachaça Study (WICAS).
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to compare the cardiovascular risk (CVR) biomarker effects of moderate daily consumption of red wine versus Brazilian spirit (cachaça) in healthy individuals.
Results Summary
Moderate wine consumption led to significant weight gain (0.7 kg) and a median platelet aggregation delta of -1.6%, but no other biomarkers showed statistically significant variation. The study concluded that both wine and cachaça influenced CVR biomarkers related to atherosclerosis.
Population
Healthy individuals (median age 44.3 ± 10.3 years, 47.5% male).
Effective Dosage
28 g ethanol/day for men, 14 g/day for women.
Duration
4 weeks per intervention, with a 1-week abstinence period between interventions.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Moderate daily consumption of alcohol (MDCA) | decrease | cardiovascular risk (CVR) | - | reduction | is associated with | #1 |
red wine consumption | decrease | cardiovascular risk (CVR) reduction | - | - | is associated with | #2 |
MDCA of cachaça | increase | platelet aggregation | healthy individuals | 1.2% | median of the delta of | #3 |
MDCA of wine | decrease | platelet aggregation | healthy individuals | -1.6% | median of the delta of | #4 |
red wine | increase | weight | healthy individuals | 0.7 kg | weight gain | #5 |
MDCA of cachaça | no change | C-reactive protein, lipid profile, platelet aggregation and glycemic profile | healthy individuals | - | didn't show any statistically significant variation | #6 |
MDCA of wine | no change | C-reactive protein, lipid profile, platelet aggregation and glycemic profile | healthy individuals | - | didn't show any statistically significant variation | #7 |
Moderate consumption of wine and cachaça | neutral | laboratory biomarkers of CVR related to atherosclerosis | healthy individuals | - | was related to variation in | #8 |
INTRODUCTION: Moderate daily consumption of alcohol (MDCA) is associated with cardiovascular risk (CVR) reduction in observational studies. Some researches have suggested that this benefit may be associated not only with red wine consumption but also with other beverages. However, there are no clinical trials evaluating the possible CVR benefit of Brazilian spirit (cachaça) in humans. METHODS: This is a prospective, randomized, crossover study including healthy individuals initially assigned to a MDCA of cachaça or red wine for a period of 4 weeks. After a one-week abstinence period, the type of drink was changed for another 4 weeks of intervention. The MDCA for both beverages was determined as a dose equivalent to 28 g of ethanol per day for men and 14 g for women. CVR biomarkers analyses were performed before and after each intervention to assess the serologic status of C-reactive protein, lipid profile, platelet aggregation and glycemic profile. This study is registered on the ISRCTN platform under number 15978506. RESULTS: Of the 42 subjects initially randomized, 2 refused to continue in the study. The median age was 44.3 ± 10.3 years and 19 were male (47.5%). Adherence to the protocol was considered ideal with 100% regular use in both interventions and only 3 individuals in each intervention group reported alcohol abuse. There was no significant variation in anthropometric measurements during the study, except for weight gain (0.7 kg) in the red wine group (p = 0.005). The median of the delta of platelet aggregation for MDCA of cachaça was 1.2% (-1.1 to 5.3) and the median of the delta to the MDCA of wine was -1.6% (-4.5 to 2) (p = 0.02). The other biomarkers didn't show any statistically significant variation. CONCLUSION: Moderate consumption of wine and cachaça was related to variation in laboratory biomarkers of CVR related to atherosclerosis. There was significant weight gain during the period of wine consumption and there was observed a difference between platelet aggregation values after both interventions.