Prof. Ian Macdonald of the University of London has assembled this work in nine chapters and with no less than
37 specialists contributing.
The work of the ILSI began in 1992 when leading scientists were asked to review critically
the state of information available on the relationship between
alcohol consumption and nine important health issues: hypertension,
stroke, coronary heart disease, digestive tract cancers, liver
disease, breast cancer, pregnancy, body weight and genetics.
The group of scientists included epidemiologists, clinicians,
toxicologists, and other biomedical researchers. The task assigned
was to appraise what we know and, equally important, what we do
not know about alcohol and especially moderate consumption, as
it pertains to a wide range of biomedical considerations.
The result was the publication of the book "Health issues related
to alcohol consumption" first published by ILSI Press in 1993.
This new edition includes additional topics and combines some
of the topics from the original book. Nine panels were formed,
each with its own chairman. Each panel was asked to address the
relationship between alcohol consumption and one of the following
areas: moderate drinking, assessment of intake, genetics, body
weight, the cardiovascular systems, pregnancy, breast cancer,
bone, and the central nervous system.
Professor Macdonald particularly emphasised the difficulties they
encountered in their project due to the lack of an International
' standard drink' or unit,which could be applied when comparing
the results of studies from different countries, as well as variations
in the definition by scientists of what constitutes ' moderate
consumption'.
This important review of many aspects of ‘moderate drinking’ is
particularly relevant to AIM’s policy of communicating the ‘Sensible Drinking Message’. Professor
Macdonald and his associates are to be congratulated for providing
an excellent reference work which explores thoroughly the various
aspects between drinking alcohol and health.
Health Issues Related to Alcohol Consumption is published by Blackwell
Science Ltd.
ILSI 1126 Sixteenth Street N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036, USA Telephone:
+1 202 659 8654 Telefax: +1 202 659 8654 email: ilsi@ilsi.org
ILSI Europe 83 Avenue E. Mounier, Box 6 B-1200, Brussels, Belgium
Telephone: +32 2 771 00 14 Telefax: +32 2 762 00 44
email: publications@ ilsieurope.be
ISBN 1-57881-064-7
