[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/11\/alcohol-and-heart-disease\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/11\/alcohol-and-heart-disease\/","headline":"What\u2019s the Connection Between Alcohol and Heart Disease?","name":"What\u2019s the Connection Between Alcohol and Heart Disease?","description":"<p>Drinking alcohol is a risk factor for heart disease. But why, and how much? Researchers are constantly trying to answer those questions.<\/p>","datePublished":"2024-11-27","dateModified":"2025-02-25","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/","name":"UPMC","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/upmc\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/GettyImages-1636511698.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/GettyImages-1636511698.jpg","height":866,"width":1999},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/11\/alcohol-and-heart-disease\/","about":["Health Topics A-Z","Heart and Vascular Health"],"wordCount":1156,"keywords":["New Here - Living and Wellness"],"articleBody":"Drinking alcohol is a risk factor for heart disease. In fact, we know that excessive drinking can cause bad health outcomes. But we also know that certain types of alcohol, like red wine, may be good for heart health.Drinking and heart disease have a complicated relationship. Not all scientists agree about alcohol. In part, this is because scientists can\u2019t control for every lifestyle, health, and socioeconomic factor.For example, does red wine really protect against heart disease? Or do people who tend to drink red wine also eat heart-healthier foods? Perhaps they are wealthier and have better access to medical care.So how does alcohol contribute to heart disease? And how much alcohol is too much?What Happens When You Drink Alcohol?When you drink alcohol, your body jumps into action to metabolize it. Alcohol affects nearly every system in your body.First, it makes your blood vessels expand. Blood flows to your skin (which is why alcohol makes you feel warmer).Alcohol sends a signal to your brain to take a break making the hormone that regulates how much urine your kidneys make. This is why you have to pee more when you drink. It\u2019s also why you get dehydrated after drinking.Your liver, which is your body\u2019s natural detoxifier, has the job of breaking down alcohol. This is why excessive drinking can cause liver damage over time.Alcohol can also irritate your stomach, which is why people vomit if they drink too much. It also slows down your immune system, so you don\u2019t make as many white cells.What Are the Effects of Alcohol on Your Heart?As we said upfront, this is a complicated question. So let\u2019s start with what we know.Drinking alcohol can cause heart rhythm disturbances. Even just one night of excessive drinking can interfere with your heart\u2019s electrical signals.For most people, this is temporary.\u00a0But over time, drinking can cause some people to develop arrhythmias (an abnormal heartbeat). Some arrhythmias, like atrial fibrillation, increase your risk of having a stroke.Regular drinking can also affect the muscle wall of your heart by stretching it too much. It can lead to a condition called cardiomyopathy. This means your heart muscle has thickened, which makes it harder to pump blood.If your heart can\u2019t pump blood as it should, it puts you at risk for heart failure. Scientists aren\u2019t clear how much alcohol can cause this.An American Heart Association (AHA) study found that people who drank heavily had more blood markers that showed stretching of the heart wall. They also had other signs of heart damage \u2014 before they necessarily had symptoms.The researchers defined drinking heavily as:Having six or more drinks on one occasion.Feeling hungover or drunk.Needing a drink first thing in the morning.Having a family member worried about their drinking.Having life disruptions related to drinking.The study was small and focused only on Eastern European populations. But it offers one more clue that drinking excessive amounts can damage your heart.Alcohol\u2019s Effect on Your Blood PressureDrinking alcohol can also raise blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease.It\u2019s always been hard to quantify exactly how much drinking can lead to high blood pressure. This is why the American Heart Association recommends that if you drink, you follow these guidelines:No more than two drinks a day for men.No more than one drink a day for women.One drink = 12 oz regular beer, 5 oz wine, or 1.5 oz 80-proof liquor.However, new research from the AHA journal Hypertension suggests that just one drink a day can raise blood pressure. In the study, people who only drank small amounts had higher blood pressure than people who didn\u2019t drink at all.It was an epidemiological study of almost 20,000 adults in the U.S., Korea, and Japan. (Epidemiological studies look at big groups of people for long stretches and try to make connections after controlling for various factors.)None of the participants had high blood pressure at the start of the study. Researchers followed them for four to 12 years. At the end of the study, people who drank one drink or less\/day had higher blood pressure than those who didn\u2019t drink at all.Researchers don\u2019t believe alcohol alone is the biggest risk factor for high blood pressure. But it is a risk factor nonetheless. More importantly, unlike age or genetics, it\u2019s a risk factor you can control.Can You Drink in Moderation and Still Have Good Heart Health?You\u2019ll get different answers to this question, depending on who you ask. In 2022, the World Heart Federation released a new statement. It said there was no level of alcohol consumption that was safe from a health perspective.Many scientists have disagreed with this statement. Or rather, they feel that the science still isn\u2019t clear enough.Health organizations like the AHA and the Centers for Disease Control continue to try to offer helpful guidance. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans mirror the AHA guidelines (listed above).The CDC has also worked to define excessive drinking:8 or more drinks\/week for women.15 or more drinks\/week for men.(Note that excessive drinking doesn\u2019t mean alcohol abuse. It just means that the amount links to various risk factors.)But the CDC also says:\u201cAlthough past studies have indicated that moderate alcohol consumption has protective health benefits (e.g., reducing the risk of heart disease), recent studies show this may not be true.\u201dSo where does that leave your average person who enjoys an occasional drink? Ultimately, it\u2019s a personal decision.You can think of it using a risk\/reward framework. In other words, there may be a risk to the daily glass of wine. Is the reward greater than the risk?Another question to ask is whether drinking alcohol links to other unhealthy behaviors.For example, does having a drink make you more likely to reach for foods that aren\u2019t as healthy for your heart? Does it make you crave a cigarette (smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease)? Does it interfere with your sleep, which makes you feel \u201coff\u201d the next day?If you do choose to drink, the best recommendation is to stay within the guidelines of moderation. It\u2019s also about adjusting your expectations, In other words, while that one drink may not harm your health, don\u2019t expect a health benefit from it.SourcesAmerican Heart Association. Even just 1 alcoholic drink a day may increase blood pressure. Link.  American Heart Association. Heavy drinking may cause heart damage before symptoms appear. Link.Circulation. Alcohol Intake in Patients With Cardiomyopathy and Heart Failure: Consensus and Controversy. Link. CDC. Dietary guidelines for alcohol. Link. CNN. No amount of alcohol is good for the heart, a new report says, but critics disagree on science. Link.  "},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2024","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"11","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/\/11\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"What\u2019s the Connection Between Alcohol and Heart Disease?","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/11\/alcohol-and-heart-disease\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]