A new study shows that women who drink eight or more alcoholic drinks a week have a higher risk of developing heart disease than those who drink less.

Studies have shown that people who binge drink and eat are at even greater risk to their heart health.

The American College of Cardiology study aimed to determine the link between alcohol consumption and coronary heart disease.

At Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Northern California, researchers used data from more than 432,000 people between the ages of 18 and 65 who were treated at the facility and had no history of heart disease or stroke.

Of these individuals, approximately 243,000 are men and 189,000 are women, with an average age of 44, according to the American College of Cardiology.

This study examined patient intake information collected during primary care visits from 2014 to 2015 when patients indicated either low, moderate, or high weekly alcohol intake.

The researchers then used four years of follow-up information.

Dr. Jamal Rana, a California-based cardiologist and the study’s lead author, told Fox News Digital that while the idea that drinking alcohol is good for the heart is becoming more widespread today, “the concept… There is evidence that calls into question.”

“We need more awareness that alcohol use can be a risk factor for heart disease and that asking about alcohol use should be part of regular health assessments. I think so,” he said.

In this study, the low level of alcohol intake recorded by patients during their self-assessment was considered one to two drinks per week for both men and women.

According to the American College of Cardiology, moderate intake is considered to be 3 to 14 drinks per week for men and 3 to 7 drinks per week for women.

A high intake is considered to be 15 or more drinks per week for men and 8 or more drinks per week for women.

Non-alcohol drinkers were not included in the study, and the researchers also looked at patients’ age, smoking habits, physical activity level, and additional cardiovascular risk factors listed on patient forms.

During the four-year follow-up period, the researchers found that 3,108 of those studied were diagnosed with coronary heart disease, and the risk increased as alcohol intake increased.

Women who reported high alcohol intake (8 or more drinks per week) had a 33% to 51% higher risk of developing heart disease compared to women with lower alcohol intake.

Researchers also studied binge drinking.

Researchers found that the biggest difference was that women in this category were two-thirds more likely to develop heart disease compared to women with moderate alcohol intake. did.

Lana told the American College of Cardiology that women are at higher risk for heart disease even without binge drinking, but these results are surprising.

“We did not expect to see these results in women at such a young age, as older women are typically seen to be at higher risk for heart disease,” he said in a press release. Stated.

“Alcohol consumption is increasing among young and middle-aged women because they may feel that they are protected from heart disease until they are older,” she told Fox News Digital. he said.

She added: “But our research shows that even in that age group, women who drink more than the recommended amount of one drink a day, or who tend to binge drink, are more likely to have coronary heart disease.” This indicates that there is a risk of

Rana also noted that women’s bodies process alcohol differently than men’s “due to pharmacokinetic and physiological differences.”

Regarding study limitations, Rana noted that the researchers used patient self-assessment intake forms.

Therefore, patients may have been underreporting their alcohol intake, he said.

The study is considered preliminary and has not yet been published in a medical journal.

Funding was provided by a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Professor Rana will present the results of his research on habitual alcohol consumption and cardiovascular disease risk at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Sessions on April 6 in Atlanta, Georgia.