A study to be presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 2024 Annual Scientific Sessions found that moderate to heavy alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease in both men and women. This association was more pronounced in women than in men.

Researchers based at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California and led by Dr. Jamal Rana studied 430,000 members, including 243,000 men and 189,000 women, over two years from 2014 to 2015. registered. The average age of the participants was 44 years, and none had heart disease at the time data on alcohol consumption was obtained. During routine health visits, individuals were asked about how much alcohol they consumed. Levels of alcohol consumption include light, moderate, heavy, and binge drinking. People who reported never drinking alcohol were not included in the study.

The following indicators were used to describe the extent of alcohol consumption:

• intake is low It was defined as 1-2 drinks per week for both men and women.
• moderate intake It was defined as 3 to 14 drinks per week for men and 3 to 7 drinks per week for women.
• high intake It was defined as 15 or more drinks per week for men and 8 or more drinks per week for women.
• binge drinking It was defined as 4 or more drinks per day for men and 3 or more drinks per day for men at any time in the past 3 months.

The study then monitored patients over the next four years to assess the development of heart disease. A particular focus was on coronary artery disease, a disease that affects the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle. Coronary artery disease usually develops when calcification or plaque develops in these blood vessels, reducing blood supply to the heart muscle, making it more susceptible to chest pain (angina) and heart attack (myocardial infarction), causing scarring, and impairing heart function. It causes heart failure and heart abnormalities. Heart failure (arrhythmia), heart failure, or death.

Just over 3,000 participants in the study developed coronary artery disease during the first four years of the study. People who reported high levels of alcohol consumption were more likely to develop heart disease. Among men, high intakes were 33% more likely to develop heart disease than moderate intakes. In women, these differences were even more pronounced. Women with high alcohol intake were 45% more likely to have heart disease than women with low alcohol intake, and 29% more likely to have heart disease than women with moderate alcohol intake. I am. Also, women who reported heavy alcohol consumption (3 or more drinks per day in the past 3 months) were 68% more likely to have heart disease than women who reported moderate consumption.

It was previously thought that women had a significantly lower risk of heart disease than men because of the apparent protective effects of estrogen before menopause. Although the hormone estrogen has well-documented protective effects on the heart, heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in the United States. Coronary artery disease is the most common cause of heart disease and death in women due to unrecognized or inadequately controlled hypertension. Alcohol consumption is one of the risk factors for developing high blood pressure and eventually heart disease.

It is becoming increasingly clear that heart disease in women often goes unrecognized. Women who experience symptoms of heart disease similar to men are more likely than men to be diagnosed with gastrointestinal and psychiatric disorders. In fact, how there are actually gender-specific risk factors for heart disease in women, such as early or late menarche, the presence of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), autoimmune diseases, and certain diseases related to pregnancy. It is now better understood what to do. The same goes for the transition to menopause. Level of alcohol consumption can now be included as a notable marker of a woman’s future risk for heart disease.