Health Q&A: Can I Drink Wine After Heart Surgery?

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Jacob Gaffney
Posted: March 22, 2007

Q: I know that drinking red wine is good for the heart. Can a person drink red wine after heart surgery? —Angeline Poon, Singapore

A: Only your doctor can make this determination, Angeline, based on your specific situation. In general, most studies that find a beneficial relationship between heart health and a moderate intake of red wine deal with the risks associated with the onset of heart diseases, rather than evaluating whether red wine can aid recovery.

However, one study has shown that drinking small amounts of wine daily can help women heal after being hospitalized with heart-related ailments. And two studies from noted research teams found that drinking responsibly helps to prevent a second heart attack. One found that repeat heart-related complications were halved by moderate wine consumption, while the other concluded that alcohol, not necessarily wine, also offers protection from another heart attack.

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