Studies have linked increased alcohol intake to everything from cancer to liver disease, but the message about the effects of drinking on heart health has been unclear in recent years. There is now new data suggesting that regular drinking habits may increase your risk of developing heart disease. This seems to be especially true for women.

The study, to be presented at the American College of Cardiology’s annual scientific session, analyzed data from more than 430,000 people without heart disease who were treated at Kaiser Permanente, a Northern California integrative health organization, from 2014 to 2015. did. Data was collected during primary care visits, and the researchers compared it with diagnoses of coronary heart disease during a four-year follow-up period. (Coronary heart disease occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the heart narrow, restricting blood flow. This can also increase the risk of heart events such as chest pain and heart attack. .)

During the study period, 3,108 participants were diagnosed with coronary heart disease, and the rate increased as alcohol intake increased. Among women, those who consumed a lot of alcohol (defined as 8 or more drinks per week) had a 45% higher risk of heart disease compared to those who drank less (1 to 2 drinks per week). Additionally, women with heavy alcohol intake had a 29% higher risk compared to moderate drinkers who drank three to seven drinks a week.

Women in the heavy drinking category were 68% more likely to develop heart disease compared to women who reported moderate drinking. Binge drinking is defined as drinking three or more drinks in a day.

Men who consumed heavy alcohol (defined as 15 or more drinks per week) were 33% more likely to develop heart disease than men who drank moderately, or between 3 and 14 drinks per week.

Of note: There was no significant difference in risk between those who reported moderate and low alcohol intake.

“Although it has long been believed that alcohol is good for the heart, there is a growing body of evidence that challenges that notion,” said lead author of the study, a cardiologist and research director at Permanente Medical Group. said Dr. Jamal Rana, adjunct researcher. he told Yahoo Life from Kaiser Permanente in Northern California.

The study isn’t perfect, and the researchers even noted that people tend to underreport their alcohol intake to health care providers, for example, but there are still a lot of differences between alcohol consumption and heart health, especially among women. This raises questions.

Why are women at higher risk?

Doctors say there are several issues at play here. “Overall, alcohol can increase blood pressure, which is a risk factor for coronary heart disease, and can also cause an inflammatory response,” says Cardiologist at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute. says Dr. Jennifer Wong, medical director of noninvasive cardiology at . he told Yahoo Life from Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California. “Inflammation has long been thought to contribute to atherosclerosis, the thickening or hardening of arteries.” Alcohol can also increase cholesterol levels and the risk of obesity, both of which are linked to coronary artery disease. She says it’s a risk factor for heart disease.

However, all of these factors apply to both women and men. Why do women seem to be more at risk?

“Women process alcohol differently than men due to biological differences such as body size,” Lana says. He explains that women’s bodies typically absorb more alcohol and take longer to metabolize it.

Dr. Anne Curtis, a cardiologist at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, agrees. “It’s mostly just body size,” she told Yahoo Life. “Women tend to be smaller than men, so the effects of alcohol consumption may be greater.”

According to Wong, there are also things to consider. “In general, women appear to be more sensitive to cardiovascular risk factors.”

But alcohol consumption among young and middle-aged women is also on the rise, raising concerns about how this may affect their heart health, Rana said.

For reference, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans does not recommend adopting an alcoholic habit for health reasons, but it does recommend that women drink no more than one drink a day, and it is best to drink less than that. Suggests.

What does this mean for men?

The study found that women had the biggest increase in risk, but men still had a higher risk of heart disease if they drank more. Still, men shouldn’t interpret the study results as an excuse to drink more than the recommended two-drink-a-day limit, Curtis says.

“Men should similarly pay attention to information, especially regarding binge drinking,” she says.

“We should all reduce our alcohol intake if we can,” says Wong. Lana agrees. “We need to raise awareness among both women and men that it is easy to exceed the recommended low alcohol intake and that doing so can increase the risk of heart disease.” he says.