Alcohols Effects on the Heart

The associations between drinking and CV diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, and cardiomyopathy have been studied extensively and are outlined in this review. Although many behavioral, genetic, and biologic variants influence the interconnection between alcohol use and CV disease, dose and pattern of alcohol consumption seem to modulate this most. Low-to-moderate alcohol use may mitigate certain mechanisms such as risk and hemostatic factors affecting atherosclerosis and inflammation, pathophysiologic processes integral to most CV disease. Both the negative and positive effects of alcohol use on particular CV conditions are presented here. The review concludes by suggesting several promising avenues for future research related to alcohol use and CV disease. The associations between drinking and CV diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, and cardiomyopathy have been studied extensively and are outlined in this review.

There’s a way to have a healthy, balanced relationship with alcohol that lets you enjoy a drink occasionally and celebrate with friends and family. But your heart is an important organ that should also be cared for, so be sure to drink in moderation, learn about binge drinking and know what your body can (and can’t) tolerate before opening that tab. Over time, that can lead to hypertension, or chronic high blood pressure, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Experimental studies

As noted in the text, the exact amount and duration of alcohol consumption that results in ACM in human beings varies. Data from animal models and human beings with a history of long-term drinking suggest that oxidative stress may be an early and initiating mechanism. Many cellular events, such as intrinsic myocyte dysfunction, characterized by changes in calcium homeostasis and regulation and decreased myofilament sensitivity, can come about due to oxidative stress. More recently, Cosmi and colleagues (2015) examined the effects of daily wine consumption in subjects enrolled in an Italian trial of heart failure patients (mean age ~67), most of whom How does alcohol affect blood pressure had reduced ejection-fraction heart failure. Different levels of daily wine consumption (i.e., sometimes, 1 to 2 glasses/day, and ≥3 glasses/day) had no effect on fatal or nonfatal outcomes (e.g., hospitalization for a CV event).

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In contrast to control mice, the IGF-1−expressing animals exhibited no evidence of changes in expression of antioxidant enzymes (i.e., superoxide dismutase-1) or any decreases in contractile function after 16 weeks of ethanol consumption. The findings suggest a protective effect of overexpression of IGF-1 in the transgenic animals (Zhang et al. 2014). Several reports indicate that alcohol first exerts a seemingly positive effect, followed by a more negative impact (i.e., it is biphasic) on the endothelial−nitric oxide–generating system.

What’s the Link Between Alcohol and Heart Disease?

1. Long-term heavy alcohol consumption induces adverse histological, cellular, and structural changes within the myocardium.
2. Because of space limitations, not all of the excellent scientific work on alcohol and the cardiovascular system could be assessed in this review.
3. A 2022 study showed a link between moderate drinking (eight to 16 drinks per week) and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, but specifically among people who drank alcohol with meals.

They recommended confirming these results in younger women and in men, particularly since their subjects had been older women, who have more significant cardiovascular risk. Results from another meta-analysis of 12 cohort studies found a similar dose−response relationship between alcohol consumption and HTN for males. A J-shaped relationship for females showed protective effects at or below consumption levels of 15 g/day (Taylor et al. 2009). These data highlight how gender may be an important modifier of the alcohol threshold level and can shape the alcohol benefit−risk relationship. The adverse influence of alcohol on the heart is clear after the consumption of large amounts for many years. Stress not only raises blood pressure and heart rate but also triggers inflammation that causes plaque buildup, which contributes to heart attacks.

Average net changes in systolic and diastolic BPs and corresponding 95% CIs related to alcohol reduction intervention in 15 randomized controlled trials (adopted from Xin et al.72 with permission). Mean systolic and diastolic BPs for White, Black or Asian men and women for known drinking habits (adopted from Klatsky et al.54 with permission). Alcohol also causes damage to the liver over time, especially if you drink too much.

Experimental studies have shown that alcohol suppresses the baroreceptor reflex.43 Narkiewicz et al.44 reported that alcohol enhances the hypotension induced by lower body negative pressure. The combination of impairment of the baroreceptor reflex and systemic vasodilation acts to potentiate orthostatic hypotension and may induce syncope after drinking in susceptible subjects. The effect of a single intake of alcohol on BP in normal subjects is not consistent among studies. Some studies have shown an increase in BP,13, 14 whereas it decreased15, 16 or remained unchanged17, 18 in others.