Women who consume one or two alcoholic drinks a day have fewer heart attacks than those who don't drink at all, but the health benefits vanish if women engage in binge drinking, according to researchers at the University of Buffalo.

The researchers found some interesting variations in the relationship between alcohol use and coronary health: women who got intoxicated once a month or more were three times more likely to have a heart attack than abstainers, for example, and heart-attack risk was slightly elevated among women who preferred liquor to wine. Also, both women who drank with food and those who did not experienced heart benefits, as long as they drank daily and in moderation.

"These findings have important implications because heart disease is the leading cause of death for women," said lead author Joan M. Dorn of the University of Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions. "I certainly wouldn't recommend that women start drinking, but among those who do, if they are concerning about heart health, the message is that a small amount is OK."

The study was published in the May 2007 edition of the journal Addiction.