Alcohol and Heart Disease
I would like to point you to the UK site Drinkaware.co.uk which has an excellent page on the effects of alcohol on you. For each particular effect they have a fact sheet which you can either read online or download.
In this blog post, we will focus on alcohol and heart disease.
http://www.drinkaware.co.uk/facts/factsheets/alcohol-and-heart-disease
Here is some of the information about the specific effects of drinking too much alcohol on your heart. The page is interesting because it also focuses on the frequently quoted articles in the media about glasses of red wine being good for your heart.
Drinking too much has the following effects on the heart:
• ‘Holiday heart’ syndrome. Binge drinking or a period of heavy alcohol consumption can cause a sudden, irregular rhythm of the heart in apparently healthy people. This results in shortness of breath, changes in blood pressure and an increase in the risk of a heart attack and even sudden death.
• An increased risk of thrombosis (blood clotting). Alcohol can affect levels of a substance in the blood called homocysteine. High homocysteine levels increase the risk of blood vessel blockages.
• Increased risk of high blood pressure (hypertension). According to the Department of Health, men who regularly consume more than eight alcohol units a day are four times more likely to develop high blood pressure. Women who regularly consume more than six alcohol units a day double their risk of developing high blood pressure. People who’ve had a heart attack may be at greater risk of developing high blood pressure or further damage to the heart muscle as a result of drinking alcohol.
• Regular heavy drinking may lead to enlargement of the heart. This is a sign that the heart is unable to pump effectively. This condition is known as heart failure, and requires treatment consisting of drugs, a pacemaker or even a heart transplant. The condition is not curable.
Please visit this page for more general effects of alcohol on you.
http://www.drinkaware.co.uk/facts/effects-of-alcohol-2
Being better informed will help you with your decision to cut down or quit drinking overall.