LAS VEGAS—In addition to wine's heart health benefits, moderate wine consumption may help individuals maintain healthy kidneys and protect the hearts of those who suffer from kidney disease, according to new findings presented at the National Kidney Foundation's 2014 Spring Clinical Meetings.

The study's lead author Tapan Mehta, M.D., University of Colorado-Denver, and his colleagues found that people who drank less than one glass of wine per day had a 37% lower prevalence of chronic kidney disease than those who drank no wine at all. Among study participants who had chronic kidney disease, those who drank less than a glass of wine daily were 29% less likely to have cardiovascular disease than non-wine drinkers.

Mehta and his colleagues used 2003-2006 data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) on 5,852 individuals, 1,031 of whom had chronic kidney disease.

"Similar to previous studies showing that moderate wine consumption appears to impart some health benefit by lowering the risk of heart disease and diabetes, this study suggests an association between moderate wine consumption (less than 1 glass/day) and lower rates of chronic kidney disease," said Thomas Manley, director of scientific activities at the National Kidney Foundation, adding that moderation is the key for kidney patients when it comes to alcohol consumption, with a few caveats.

"Excess alcohol consumption has definitely been shown to have negative effects on kidney function," he said. "Alcohol can also worsen hypertension, a major cause of chronic kidney disease, so those with poorly controlled hypertension should definitely limit the amount of alcohol they consume. It's also important to consider the nutritional contents of the various alcoholic drinks to be sure they comply with the prescribed renal diet."