Ernie Mandel HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, March 28, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Consuming one or more drinks a day significantly increases heart risk for everyone, but heavy drinking is especially harmful for women. That’s what new research shows.

“When it comes to binge drinking, both men and women who consume excessive amounts of alcohol are at increased risk of heart disease,” said study lead author Dr. Jamal Rana. He is a cardiologist at Permanente Medical Group in Oakland, California.

The new findings are based on data from more than 430,000 California adults under the age of 65.

“We found that it was consistently higher for women.” [heart] “Even if you don’t binge drink or eat, you’re at risk,” Rana said in an American College of Cardiology (ACC) news release.

“We did not expect to see these results in women at such a young age, as we typically see older women at higher risk for heart disease,” she added. “That was definitely a surprise.”

The findings will be presented at the ACC’s annual meeting in Atlanta on April 6.

In the study, Lana’s group tracked the heart health of nearly 243,000 men and 189,000 women who received care at Kaiser Permanente, a Northern California comprehensive health organization.

The average age of the participants was 44 years, and none had been diagnosed with heart disease at the start of the study.

All patients’ alcohol intake was assessed regularly by network physicians. Lana’s group divided participants into three groups: those with low alcohol intake (1 to 2 drinks per week for both men and women), moderate alcohol intake (3 to 14 drinks per week for men, and 3 drinks per week for women). ~7 drinks) or more (15 people) (1 or more drinks per week for men, 8 or more drinks per week for women).

The study also tracked the history of binge drinking (defined as four or more drinks for men and three or more for women) consumed per day over the past three months.

Overall, more than 3,100 people developed heart disease during the four years of follow-up included in the study.

As alcohol intake increased, so did the odds of developing heart disease.

Rana’s group found that women in the “high” category of alcohol intake were 45% more likely to develop heart disease than those in the lowest category. found.

Heavy drinkers were at even higher risk, with even moderate drinkers having a 68% higher risk of heart disease than women.

Researchers found that alcohol consumption also affected men’s heart risk, with those with the highest levels being 33% more likely to develop heart disease than those with moderate levels.

But the more urgent warning from this study concerns women, Rana said.

“Women feel protected from heart disease until they get older, but this study shows that even in young or middle age, if you drink a lot of alcohol or binge eat, “It shows you’re at risk for heart disease,” he said.

Alcohol consumption can negatively impact heart health in a variety of potential ways, added Dr. Sean Heffron, a cardiologist at the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, part of NYU Langone Heart in New York City. .

“It may affect blood pressure.” [and] “The clotting occurs directly in the heart muscle itself,” said Heffron, who was not involved in the new study, “and may also affect the levels of different types of cholesterol, particularly HDL cholesterol, in the blood. “It can also affect heart rhythm.” and conduction. ”

Rana and colleagues say women’s bodies process alcohol differently than men’s, which may make them more vulnerable.

The new study’s results mirror those of previous studies, Heffron said.

“Previous cohorts supported that heavy drinking is associated with a range of adverse outcomes, including the risk of coronary heart disease,” he said.

However, Lana does not believe that “alcohol is one of the key symptoms” of heart disease.

“I think there needs to be more awareness. From now on, alcohol should also be part of regular health checkups,” he said.

This research was funded by a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The results of these studies will be presented at medical conferences and should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Source: Sean Heffron, MD, Cardiologist, Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, NYU Langone Heart Center, New York City.American College of Cardiology, News Release, March 28, 2024

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