Alcohol Archive

Excessive drinking can contribute to high blood pressure, obesity, and stroke, while moderate drinking (no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks or fewer per day for men) is linked to a lower risk of heart problems. One possible mechanism might be stress reduction. Brain scans of people who reported light to moderate drinking show less activity in the part of the brain that responds to stress, compared with the scans of people who abstained or drank very little. Stress not only raises blood pressure and heart rate but also triggers inflammation that causes plaque buildup, which contributes to heart attacks.

Research into the health benefits of alcohol has not provided a clear answer. Some findings suggest that alcohol helps protect against heart disease and lowers the risk of heart attacks and strokes, and drinkers tend to live longer than nondrinkers. Other studies say these benefits are less clear. If you don't drink alcohol now, there are no health reasons to start drinking. If you do enjoy it, it's best to have no more than 2 drinks in the same day.

The health risks of using tobacco and overusing alcohol begin to drop within days after a person stops using them. However, how past usage may affect a person's longevity is difficult to predict.

Many factors can increase heart rate from the normal pace of 60 to 100 beats per minute. Lifestyle choices and certain medications can raise heart rate, as can serious conditions. When an elevated heart rate is joined by urgent symptoms, seek immediate care.

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.