Alcohol Archive

Medication to lower high blood pressure is a proven way to reduce a person's risk for heart disease. But adopting lifestyle changes may let people maintain healthy readings and perhaps even avoid drug therapy. Six lifestyle changes have the most significant influence on blood pressure: diet, exercise, weight control, limiting sodium and alcohol, and managing stress.

For people with obesity, weight-loss surgery can reverse or greatly improve many serious health issues, but also leaves people more likely to develop an alcohol use disorder. A new study finds that one type of surgery may increase the dangers of drinking much more than other weight-loss strategies.

People who increase their drinking in later midlife—consuming 21 or more drinks per week—may raise their risk of atrial fibrillation compared with those who maintain low to moderate alcohol intake.

A 2022 study found that women undergoing fertility treatment who drank seven or more alcoholic beverages weekly were 7% less likely to become pregnant. The chances of live birth dropped 9% in women whose male partners drank that amount.

Unhealthy lifestyle habits, chronic diseases, and genetic conditions can damage the kidneys and reduce their ability to do their many jobs. But many precautions can help protect the kidneys. Examples include controlling diabetes; lowering high blood pressure; moderating intake of salt, alcohol, and protein; limiting intake of oxalate-rich foods such as spinach, almonds, or cashews; losing weight; stopping smoking; exercising regularly; staying hydrated; limiting the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); and getting annual kidney function tests.

Over the years, studies have produced conflicting results about the link between alcohol intake and heart health. Some studies suggest drinking alcohol protects against cardiovascular disease, including heart attack, heart failure, and stroke, while others imply the opposite. Now growing evidence says that not only won't alcohol lower a person's risk for cardiovascular disease, but consuming even moderate amounts may increase risk.

The long-held assumption that light to moderate drinking is good for a person's heart is likely inaccurate. A new study using sophisticated genetic tools suggests that the risk of high blood pressure and coronary artery disease rise for any quantity of alcohol consumption. The added risk is low when people consume up to a single drink per day but rises exponentially at levels above seven drinks per week. This added risk applies to a first-time diagnosis of heart disease and not to people already diagnosed with a heart problem (who might well face even greater risk).

Some studies have found that drinking any amount of alcohol is unhealthy. But more than 100 large studies have found that people who have one drink per day have lower risks of cardiovascular disease. How can both be true? It depends on a person's current state of health, lifestyle habits (such as diet, exercise, and smoking), family history of disease, and the quantity of alcohol consumed. People who don't usually drink have no need to start: there are better ways to achieve a healthy heart.

If you want to cut down on your alcohol consumption, or just want to start the new year on a healthy note, consider joining the Dry January challenge. Does a month seem like a long time? Here are steps you can take to improve your chances of success.

It's no secret that alcohol affects our brains. Although excessive drinking is linked to an increased risk of dementia, decades of observational studies have indicated that moderate drinking has few ill effects. However, a recent British study seems to have bad news for moderate drinkers.