Alcohols Effects on the Cardiovascular System

It is clear that alcohol consumption is related to hypertension, and therefore the restriction of alcohol intake is recommended in the management of hypertension. Alcohol and its metabolites, however, also exhibit a vasodilatory action, and the BP usually decreased after alcohol ingestion, especially in Orientals who show alcohol flush. Mechanisms for the pressor action of alcohol have not been completely clarified; however, an increase in the vascular sensitivity, activation of the sympathetic nervous system and depletion of magnesium and calcium may be involved. The depressor action of alcohol is due to a decrease in systemic vascular resistance that may be related to the attenuation of vascular sensitivity and production of nitric oxide.

Therefore, the objective of this article is to provide an update on the link between alcohol intake and obesity. Furthermore, factors that may explain the conflicting findings in this research area are discussed. Finally, recommendations for future research are provided to promote a better understanding of the possible obesity-promoting effects of energy intake from alcohol. “In my general practice for patients with cardiovascular disease, I recommend abstaining from alcohol,” Dr. Tsay says. But like many people, I enjoy the occasional glass of wine with dinner, and nothing tastes better than an ice-cold beer on a sweaty summer day. When it comes to alcohol and heart health, the existing research is quite conflicting — some studies say alcohol improves heart health, while others imply the opposite.

Mechanisms Related to Alcohol’s Positive and Adverse Effects on CV Conditions

A study in the April 14, 2018, issue of The Lancet looked at the drinking habits of almost 600,000 people without heart disease, and found that people who had 10 or more drinks per week died one to two years earlier compared with those who drank five drinks or fewer per week. In humans, endothelial function is assessed by measuring the widening (i.e., dilation) of the brachial artery under different conditions. Some research noted that endothelial function is impaired in abstinent individuals with a long-term history of alcohol abuse or alcoholism (Di Gennaro et al. 2007, 2012; Maiorano et al. 1999). Other studies have examined the effect of a single binge-drinking episode and found impairment in brachial artery endothelial-dependent and -independent vasodilation (Bau et al. 2005; Hashimoto et al. 2001; Hijmering et al. 2007). Therefore, as in animal studies, the effects of ethanol on endothelial function in humans likely depend on the dose and duration of ethanol consumption. Although epidemiological studies have clearly shown the hypertensive effect of alcohol, most studies did not consider the time-related effect of alcohol on BP.

How Much Alcohol Is Too Much?

Many systematic reviews and meta-analyses 5,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 and numerous individual studies have been published in recent decades on the relationship between sunrock strain leafly alcohol consumption and IHD, or myocardial infarction, the main subcategory of IHD. This relationship and its implications remain controversial due to a lack of long-term randomized controlled trials with CVD endpoints. Oftentimes, whether or not a J-curve or an inverse or U-shaped relationship is observed depends on the range of alcohol consumption reported in an individual study and the specific IHD endpoint considered (fatal or non-fatal).

“Overall, it depends on both the amount of alcohol you consume, as well as your existing risk factors.” The lack of consistent data means that the takeaway message here is moderation — and the importance of avoiding excessive and binge drinking. According to 2022 research, any amount of alcohol can have a negative impact on the heart and cardiovascular system. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that people avoid drinking when possible. However, evidence suggests an association between consuming alcohol and problems with the cardiovascular system. Your doctor will often advise you when it’s safe to start drinking alcohol again, from a medical perspective.

Youth-targeted advertisement and encouraging alcohol as ‘heart-healthy’ have created a conducive environment for young adults to relate alcohol with ‘having a good time’. Contrary to this belief, evidence from all around the world exists to link alcohol with a range of non-communicable and infectious diseases. However, new research has challenged this interpretation by not confirming the J point relationship in Chinese 24 and Indian populations 25, where alcohol consumption is relatively lower, binge drinking is common and among people less than 55 years of age. Furthermore, there has been heterogeneity in the type and pattern of alcohol consumption in most parts of the world. The controversy over the role of low to moderate alcohol use and future heart attack relates to inconsistent results among the many studies on the topic.

Will alcohol interact with my heart medications?

1. However, new research has challenged this interpretation by not confirming the J point relationship in Chinese 24 and Indian populations 25, where alcohol consumption is relatively lower, binge drinking is common and among people less than 55 years of age.
2. Stott et al.21 reported that BP levels increased at 1 h after drinking but tended to decrease over the next 7 h in normotensive subjects.
3. This study, however, did not specify the amount of alcohol intake, and did not control for participant’s physical activity (PA) levels 40.
4. As reviewed in the text, data from pharmacologic and transgenic approaches revealed an important role for oxidative stress and the hormone angiotensin II.
5. P ooled effect estimates from conditional logistic regression were stratified by geographic region and adjusted for Dietary Risk score, exercise, smoking, marital status, employment, education level, depression, stress at work or at home, financial stress, BMI, and waist-to-hip ratio.

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.

Cerebrovascular disease

And, in fact, the study also showed that drinking one or fewer drinks per day was related to the lowest likelihood of dying from a stroke. However, Dr. Cho points out that more recent data shows that there may be no amount of alcohol that is truly safe. Aside from the immediate influence on appetite that comes from alcohol consumption, there are also effects on energy storage.