Heavy drinking damages heart and arteries

Heavy drinking can cause high blood pressure, stiffer arteries and rigid heart muscles in men and enlarged hearts in women. Researches say that this boosts their risk of having heart attacks and strokes

The research defined heavy drinking as more than 21 drinks a week for men and more than 14 per week for women.

“We definitely see quite a deleterious effect,” said Dr. Azra Mahmud of St. James Hospital in Dublin, who presented her findings Wednesday at a meeting of the American Society of Hypertension in New Orleans.

Once a heart becomes enlarged — a sign it has been overtaxed — it is difficult to reverse. Mahmud said prior studies have suggested that people with enlarged hearts are five to six times more likely to have heart attacks.

Moderate drinking has been shown in many studies to have heart benefits. But heavy drinking counteracts these benefits and can cause serious harm, she said.

In her study, Mahmud and colleagues looked at whether high alcohol consumption resulted in structural changes in the heart and arteries of people already at risk for high blood pressure.

Ideally, men and women should reduce alcohol intake, if excessive, and counter the effects of excessive consumption with liver cleansing products such as Milk Thistle.