STUDY. Alcohol consumption increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, especially among women

Young and middle-aged women who reported consuming eight or more alcoholic drinks per week were at increased risk of developing coronary heart disease, compared to those who consume a smaller amount. At the same time, women and men who consume alcohol in excess are also more susceptible to the development of this condition. The link between alcohol and heart disease is stronger in women, according to the study American College of Cardiology (ACC).

The study, which is the most diverse and comprehensive to date, investigated the relationship between the level of alcohol consumption reported by participants aged 18 to 65 at regular assessments in 2014-2015, and a diagnosis of coronary heart disease, on a period of 4 years. Data from over 430,000 people who received care within the integrated health organization were included Kaiser Permanente Northern California.

Participants’ total alcohol consumption was categorized as low, moderate, or high based on self-reports. Binge drinking was defined as drinking more than three alcoholic drinks for women and more than four for men in a single day over a three-month period. For data accuracy, age, physical activity, smoking and other known cardiovascular risk factors.

During the course of the study, 3108 of the participants received a diagnosis of coronary heart disease, and the incidence of this condition increased with the reporting of higher amounts of alcohol consumed. Women with no history of binge drinking, but who reported consuming a larger amount of alcohol, had a 45% higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseasescompared to those who reported moderate consumption.

Those who reported moderate consumption had a 29% higher risk compared to those who reported low consumption. The highest risk was observed in the binge drinking category. Women in this category were 68% more likely to develop heart problems compared to the group that reported moderate consumption.

For men, those who reported heavy drinking were 22 percent more likely to develop heart disease compared to those who reported moderate drinking. The results showed no significant differences between people who reported moderate drinking and those who reported less drinking.

“When it comes to heavy drinking, both men and women in the binge drinking category had a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. – said Jamal Rana, lead author of the study. “For women, we found a higher risk even in the absence of high alcohol consumption. I did not expect these results among younger women, because we usually see an increased risk in older women.” – she added.

A limitation of the study is that people tend to underreport alcohol consumption, so the study likely provides lower estimates for the risk of cardiovascular disease associated with alcohol consumption.