BOSTON, May 8 (UPI) -- A study of healthy older U.S. adults suggests why alcohol may play a role in lowering the risk for coronary heart disease.
The study, published in the July issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, found alcohol consumption was associated with larger lipoprotein particle sizes.
High levels of HDL, or "good" cholesterol, seem to protect against cardiovascular diseases while low, "bad" LDL cholesterol, levels are associated with increased risk for heart disease.
In the study, average particle sizes of all three lipoproteins were positively associated with alcohol intake in a cross-sectional analysis of 1,850 participants of the Cardiovascular Health Study of people 65 and older who were free of clinical cardiovascular disease.
People who consumed one or more drinks per week had the highest number of large LDL particles, while consumers of seven to 13 drinks per week had the lowest number of small LDL particles, according to researchers at Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in Boston.
The findings suggest that alcohol's effect on lipoprotein particle size may play a role in the relationship between alcohol intake and lower risk for coronary heart disease.
