blood vessels and increase the contractile force of the heart [105], or a possible role of sensitivity of baroreceptors in vessel walls that results in a diminished ability to regulate blood pressure via arterial contraction and relaxation [106]. The protective effect, seen only in moderate doses and among women, may be explained in the same way that alcohol is protective for IHD: by changing concentrations of high and low density lipoproteins (HDL, LDL, respectively) in the blood or reduction in platelet aggregation on vessel walls. The fact that it is not seen in men may be a result of higher rates of binge drinking in men resulting in an overall detrimental effect, but the literature is equivocal.
