A study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session found that young to middle-aged women who reported drinking eight or more alcoholic beverages per week were significantly more likely to develop coronary heart disease compared to those who drank less. The risk was highest among both men and women who engaged in heavy episodic drinking, or binge drinking. The link between alcohol and heart disease appears to be especially strong among women, and heart attacks and other forms of heart disease are on the rise in younger populations in the U.S.
The research was conducted on 18- to 65-year-old adults and included data from over 430,000 individuals who received care in the Kaiser Permanente Northern California integrated health organization. The participants were on average 44 years old and did not have heart disease at the start of the study. Alcohol intake information was collected during primary care visits using the health organization’s standard “Alcohol as a Vital Sign” screening initiative. Researchers analyzed the relationship between alcohol intake and coronary heart disease diagnoses over a four-year period.
Participants were categorized based on their overall alcohol intake as low, moderate, or high. Binge drinking was defined as consuming more than four drinks for men or three drinks for women in a single day in the past three months. Individuals who reported no alcohol use were not included in the study. The study found that the incidence of coronary heart disease increased with higher levels of alcohol consumption, with women in the binge drinking category being 68% more likely to develop heart disease compared to women reporting moderate intake.
The study revealed that women who reported high alcohol intake had a 45% higher risk of heart disease compared to those reporting low intake and a 29% higher risk compared to those reporting moderate intake. Men with high overall intake were also 33% more likely to develop heart disease compared to those with moderate intake. Researchers emphasized that women are at risk for coronary heart disease even when young or middle-aged if they are heavy alcohol users or binge drink. Alcohol has been shown to raise blood pressure, lead to metabolic changes associated with inflammation and obesity, and women process alcohol differently than men.
The study highlights the importance of considering alcohol use in heart disease risk assessment and prevention efforts and calls for increased awareness around the health risks of alcohol consumption. Researchers noted that alcohol should be part of routine health assessments moving forward, alongside the commonly recognized risk factor of smoking. The study was funded by a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and researchers acknowledged limitations such as underreporting of alcohol intake by study participants and the need for further research to determine optimal strategies for alcohol screening in health clinics.
