Alcohol & The Heart
Alcohol & The Heart
To look after your heart health, it is important to stick to the low-risk drinking guidelines. Not sure if you’re drinking too much? Take the Alcohol Test
today – it is completely confidential and only takes a couple of minutes.
Benefits of alcohol to the heart
There has been mixed evidence about the benefit of alcohol on heart health. The most recent studies broadly suggests low levels
of alcohol consumption are linked to some
reduction in the risk of particular heart conditions, for some
people (for example, the UK’s Chief Medical Officers’ analysis finds that they only apply to women over the age of 55).
So what are the risks?
Any protective effects have to be balanced against other risks. There is a very clear link between regularly drinking too much alcohol and having high blood pressure. Over time, high blood pressure puts strain on the heart muscle and can lead to cardiovascular disease, which increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Other serious health conditions caused by excess alcohol intake, include cardiomyopathy (where the heart muscle is damaged and can’t work as efficiently as it used to) and arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms). These conditions can increase also your risk of stroke.
What can I do to decrease my risk?
To avoid these impacts, it is important to stick to the
low-risk drinking guidelines. If you currently drink a lot, reducing the amount you drink now will still decrease your risk ill-health compared to if you keep drinking at high levels.
Not sure if your drinking is putting your health at risk? Check your drinking by taking the
Alcohol Test
today – it is completely confidential and only takes a couple of minutes.
Want to know how risky your drinking is?
Alcohol can have a big impact on your health - take the test to see how your drinking measures up.
The service is free and open to all Brent residents aged 18 or over, as well as their families and carers.
