Alcohol Consumption and Heart Disease Risk in Women
Risk is highest for binge drinking
Young to middle-aged women who drink more than one alcoholic beverage a day, on average, were more likely to develop coronary heart disease than people who drink less, according to new research from Kaiser Permanente Northern California.
Women in the study who reported drinking eight or more alcoholic beverages per week were 33 to 51 percent more likely to develop coronary heart disease. And women who binge drink — three alcoholic beverages per day — were 68 percent more likely to develop coronary heart disease than those who drink in moderation, the research showed.
“There has been an increasing prevalence of alcohol use among young and middle-aged women as women may feel they’re protected against heart disease until they’re older, but this study shows that even in that age group, women who drink more than the recommended amount of one drink per day or tend to binge drink, are at risk for coronary heart disease,” wrote Jamal Rana, a cardiologist with the Permanente Medical Group and the study’s lead author, in an email.
Risk Increases with Alcohol Consumption
The study used data from 432,265 adults, ages 18 to 65, who received care in the Kaiser Permanente Northern California integrated health organization. Participants were divided into three groups according to their alcohol intake: low (one to two drinks per week), moderate (three to 14 drinks per week for men and three to seven drinks per week for women), or high (15 or more drinks per week for men and eight or more drinks per week for women).
During the four-year follow-up period, 3,108 participants were diagnosed with coronary heart disease. Higher levels of alcohol consumption were associated with a higher incidence of coronary heart disease. Both men and women who reported heavy episodic drinking, or binge drinking, had the highest risk. The link between alcohol and coronary heart disease was particularly strong among women, the data showed.
Alcohol Use is a Risk Factor for Many Health Issues
Alcohol is actually a toxin to the heart, and it raises blood pressure and increases the risk for heart rhythm problems, especially during binge drinking. It is associated with an enlarged heart and is toxic to the heart muscle, explained Nieca Goldberg, a clinical associate professor of medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and medical director of Atria New York City. Therefore, it is important to note that alcohol is not prescribed to fight heart disease.
Alcohol Use is Increasing Among Women
Alcohol use among women is on the rise, with approximately 13 percent of adult women reporting binge drinking. A study showed that the number of alcohol-related deaths among women is rising at a faster rate than those among men, particularly for people 65 and older.
“I think this raises an important issue because oftentimes, we think of heavy drinkers as men only. But we have to have heightened awareness that women may be heavy alcohol drinkers,” explained Goldberg.
Occasional Binge Drinking can Affect Heart Health
It is not just heavy drinkers who are affected; even occasional drinking, if it reaches the level of binge drinking, can affect heart health. For those who thought drinking on the weekends was not a big deal, it is important to know that reaching the threshold of four drinks for women or five drinks for men on a single day within the previous three months increases the risk of developing cardiovascular issues.
Women are More Adversely Affected by Alcohol
Alcohol poses a higher risk for women than men when it comes to heart health. Women are more adversely affected than men by a lot of things such as cigarettes and pharmaceuticals. Women are physically smaller, metabolize differently, have different blood pressure and liver function, as well as deposit and metabolize fat differently.
It is possible to mitigate some of the ill effects of alcohol by reducing or stopping consumption. However, issues such as enlargement of the heart can occur with long-term heavy drinking and may not improve even after stopping alcohol consumption.
