Curtis
Ellison
Curtis Ellison
EE.UU. - Boston
Biografía
El profesor Ellison tiene un largo historial de investigación sobre la relación entre el consumo de vino y los resultados sanitarios. Formado en medicina interna y epidemiología, es licenciado por el Davidson College, la Universidad Médica de Carolina del Sur y la Escuela de Salud Pública de Harvard. Ha trabajado en la Facultad de Medicina de Harvard, la Universidad de Georgetown, la Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad de Massachusetts y, más recientemente, en la Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad de Boston. En esta última, fue Jefe de la Sección de Medicina Preventiva y Epidemiología durante dos décadas antes de su jubilación en 2021; ahora es Profesor de Medicina, Emérito, en esa institución, situada en Boston, Massachusetts, Estados Unidos.
El profesor Ellison también trabajó durante muchos años como investigador principal en el Framingham Heart Study, el primer gran estudio epidemiológico sobre factores de riesgo de cardiopatías, que ha consistido en evaluaciones periódicas de una cohorte poblacional de adultos y sus descendientes desde 1948.
El gran interés de Ellison por el vino y la salud comenzó a principios de la década de 1990, cuando apareció con Serge Renaud, el distinguido científico francés, en un segmento titulado "La paradoja francesa", emitido en 60 Minutes, un popular programa semanal de televisión en Estados Unidos. El público estadounidense reaccionó de forma espectacular al debate que se produjo en ese programa sobre la posibilidad de que el consumo regular y moderado de vino fuera un factor importante en los bajos niveles de cardiopatías en Francia. A raíz de ese programa se produjo un aumento inmediato del consumo de vino en EE.UU., una tendencia que continúa más de cuatro décadas después.
El profesor Ellison fue cofundador (con Helena Conibear, del Reino Unido) del Foro Científico Internacional sobre la Investigación del Alcohol, una organización formada por más de 40 científicos internacionales que trabajan en alcohol y salud. Desde 2010, este grupo de voluntarios ha llevado a cabo revisiones críticas de más de 250 publicaciones científicas que relacionan el consumo de vino y alcohol con los resultados en materia de salud. Las revisiones periódicas del Foro siguen publicándose en el sitio web del Foro: www.alcoholresearchforum.org.
El profesor Ellison también trabajó durante muchos años como investigador principal en el Framingham Heart Study, el primer gran estudio epidemiológico sobre factores de riesgo de cardiopatías, que ha consistido en evaluaciones periódicas de una cohorte poblacional de adultos y sus descendientes desde 1948.
El gran interés de Ellison por el vino y la salud comenzó a principios de la década de 1990, cuando apareció con Serge Renaud, el distinguido científico francés, en un segmento titulado "La paradoja francesa", emitido en 60 Minutes, un popular programa semanal de televisión en Estados Unidos. El público estadounidense reaccionó de forma espectacular al debate que se produjo en ese programa sobre la posibilidad de que el consumo regular y moderado de vino fuera un factor importante en los bajos niveles de cardiopatías en Francia. A raíz de ese programa se produjo un aumento inmediato del consumo de vino en EE.UU., una tendencia que continúa más de cuatro décadas después.
El profesor Ellison fue cofundador (con Helena Conibear, del Reino Unido) del Foro Científico Internacional sobre la Investigación del Alcohol, una organización formada por más de 40 científicos internacionales que trabajan en alcohol y salud. Desde 2010, este grupo de voluntarios ha llevado a cabo revisiones críticas de más de 250 publicaciones científicas que relacionan el consumo de vino y alcohol con los resultados en materia de salud. Las revisiones periódicas del Foro siguen publicándose en el sitio web del Foro: www.alcoholresearchforum.org.
Filiaciones
- Professor of Medicine emeritus, Boston University School of Medicine
- International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research
- Member of the "Lifestyle, Diet, Wine & Health" Scientific Committee
- Chair of 'Lifestyle, Diet, Wine & Health' session 'Health Implications of Lifestyle choices: Dietary and Drinking Habits'
- International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research
- Member of the "Lifestyle, Diet, Wine & Health" Scientific Committee
- Chair of 'Lifestyle, Diet, Wine & Health' session 'Health Implications of Lifestyle choices: Dietary and Drinking Habits'
Abstract
Consumo de vino y mortalidad: No hay nivel de consumo seguro o curva J
Wine Consumption and mortality: No safe level of consumption or J curve?
Professor Emeritus, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Chairman, International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research
In 1974, investigators at the Framingham Heart Study in the USA prepared a manuscript for publication based on data from the first 24 years of observation of male participants including their consumption of alcohol and risk of mortality from heart disease: they found that consumers of alcohol had much lower risk than non-drinkers. The authors concluded that there were four major “risk factors” for coronary heart disease: cigarette smoking, hypertension, elevated blood cholesterol, and abstinence from alcohol. At that time, the Framingham Study was under the direction of the National Heart Institute which had to approve all manuscripts, and when officials there read the manuscript they immediately wrote that this manuscript could not be submitted for publication, adding “Refer to only 3 major risk factors and remove all references to alcohol. With all the abuse in this country, we must not say alcohol prevents coronary heart disease.”
This event characterizes the prevalent attitude of the medical community and government officials at the time (and to some extent, even now). Despite an immense amount of research data gathered over the past four decades, it remains the attitude of some today, who continually, and without data to support such, consider any alcohol consumption “unhealthy” or even “evil”. Such individuals continue to publish warnings about alcohol based largely on misinterpretation of data, extremely selected studies, or even fraudulent intent, and have widely touted that any alcohol is unhealthy. On the other hand, scientific research results are clear: well-done cohort studies have demonstrated, almost uniformly (!), that in comparison with abstainers, moderate drinkers have a rather large and statistically significant reduction in their risk of coronary artery disease and total mortality (with the latter being the “bottom line” for evaluation of health effects – yes, even epidemiologists can determine this end-point!)
Research has identified many of the biologic and physiologic mechanisms that help explain such beneficial effects and lead to such results. Further, they have been able to clarify what constitutes the pattern of drinking that favors healthy outcomes: (1) the regular consumption of light to moderate amounts of an alcoholic beverage (with most studies showing that favorable outcomes are especially associated with wine), (2) avoidance of binge drinking: (3) consumption of the alcoholic beverage with food; (4) further, the maximum beneficial outcomes result from alcohol consumption in conjunction with other aspects of a “healthy lifestyle,” especially a Mediterranean-type diet, no smoking, adequate exercise, the avoidance of obesity, and the treatment of elevated lipids and high blood pressure.
To conclude, current scientific data clearly indicate that regular moderate alcohol consumption plays a role in the prevention of coronary heart disease and mortality. Claims of health dangers from any alcoholic consumption are not based on sound scientific data and exaggerate the risks associated with moderate drinking.
Professor Emeritus, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Chairman, International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research
In 1974, investigators at the Framingham Heart Study in the USA prepared a manuscript for publication based on data from the first 24 years of observation of male participants including their consumption of alcohol and risk of mortality from heart disease: they found that consumers of alcohol had much lower risk than non-drinkers. The authors concluded that there were four major “risk factors” for coronary heart disease: cigarette smoking, hypertension, elevated blood cholesterol, and abstinence from alcohol. At that time, the Framingham Study was under the direction of the National Heart Institute which had to approve all manuscripts, and when officials there read the manuscript they immediately wrote that this manuscript could not be submitted for publication, adding “Refer to only 3 major risk factors and remove all references to alcohol. With all the abuse in this country, we must not say alcohol prevents coronary heart disease.”
This event characterizes the prevalent attitude of the medical community and government officials at the time (and to some extent, even now). Despite an immense amount of research data gathered over the past four decades, it remains the attitude of some today, who continually, and without data to support such, consider any alcohol consumption “unhealthy” or even “evil”. Such individuals continue to publish warnings about alcohol based largely on misinterpretation of data, extremely selected studies, or even fraudulent intent, and have widely touted that any alcohol is unhealthy. On the other hand, scientific research results are clear: well-done cohort studies have demonstrated, almost uniformly (!), that in comparison with abstainers, moderate drinkers have a rather large and statistically significant reduction in their risk of coronary artery disease and total mortality (with the latter being the “bottom line” for evaluation of health effects – yes, even epidemiologists can determine this end-point!)
Research has identified many of the biologic and physiologic mechanisms that help explain such beneficial effects and lead to such results. Further, they have been able to clarify what constitutes the pattern of drinking that favors healthy outcomes: (1) the regular consumption of light to moderate amounts of an alcoholic beverage (with most studies showing that favorable outcomes are especially associated with wine), (2) avoidance of binge drinking: (3) consumption of the alcoholic beverage with food; (4) further, the maximum beneficial outcomes result from alcohol consumption in conjunction with other aspects of a “healthy lifestyle,” especially a Mediterranean-type diet, no smoking, adequate exercise, the avoidance of obesity, and the treatment of elevated lipids and high blood pressure.
To conclude, current scientific data clearly indicate that regular moderate alcohol consumption plays a role in the prevention of coronary heart disease and mortality. Claims of health dangers from any alcoholic consumption are not based on sound scientific data and exaggerate the risks associated with moderate drinking.