Heart Talks

Newswise — Despite widespread literature supporting the benefits of moderate alcohol intake, heavy drinkers may be disheartened to discover that drinking to excess results in higher blood pressure, stiffer arteries and more rigid heart muscles in men and enlarged hearts in women, all of which are clear risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

According to the data, unveiled today at the American Society of Hypertension’s Twenty Third Annual Scientific Meeting and Exposition (ASH 2008), men who drink more than 21 units of alcohol per week and women who drink more than 14 are putting themselves at serious risk of CV events, such as hypertensive heart disease, heart failure and strokes.

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer globally. Currently, an estimated 17.5 million people die from CVD each year and this figure is set to rise to almost 20 million by 2015.1

“These shocking findings illustrate the extreme risks that heavy drinkers are exposing themselves to—some of which are particularly pronounced in women,” said lead investigator Azra Mahmud MD, PhD, Lecturer Cardiovascular Pharmacology & Hypertension Specialist, from the Hypertension Clinic & Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, St, James Hospital, Dublin.

“We want to make sure people aren’t getting mixed messages about alcohol. The potentially fatal effects of heavy drinking may more than counteract the well documented benefits of sensible alcohol intake.”

The study examined the relationship between chronic alcohol intake, arterial stiffness and cardiac structure and function in men and women undergoing check-ups for possible high blood pressure. Two hundred healthy men and women took part (100 men and 100 women) with a mean age of 46 years. Subjects were categorized as non drinkers, moderate drinkers (males <21 unit per week; females <14 units per week) and heavy drinkers (males >21 unit per week; females >14 units per week). Study measurements included ultrasound of the heart to assess heart muscle structure and function, pulse wave velocity to assess arterial stiffness and pulse wave analysis to measure aortic blood pressures and wave reflections in the aorta.

Findings illustrate that high alcohol intake is associated with arterial stiffening and impaired left ventricular (LV) relaxation in males, and LV structural changes, including LV enlargement (hypertrophy) in females. Importantly, women who drank excessively had an enlarged heart even without high blood pressure or stiff arteries.

“The excessive consumption of alcohol causes significant arterial and ventricular stiffening and an enlarged heart; factors associated with poor cardiovascular outcomes in hypertensive populations,” said Mahmud. “Trends in heavy drinking continue to rise, and it is high time to recognize the potential of an alcohol-induced epidemic of cardiovascular disease. Binge and heavy drinkers must consider their behavior and control their intake before it’s too late.”

About the American Society of Hypertension
The American Society of Hypertension (ASH) is the largest U.S. professional organization of scientific investigators and healthcare professionals committed to eliminating hypertension and its consequences. ASH is dedicated to promoting strategies to prevent hypertension and to improving the care of patients with hypertension and associated disorders. The Society serves as a scientific forum that bridges current hypertension research with effective clinical treatment strategies for patients.

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