HEART PROBLEMS
Alcohol Related
Most people can control the amount of alcohol they consume. Taking one or two drinks a day reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease both in men and women. Several studies have shown that regular moderate consumption of alcohol is associated with a risk reduction of between 30-50%.
The link between alcohol and heart disease can be explained by cholesterol, high density lipoproteins (HDL’s) and low density lipoproteins (LDL’s). Cholesterol is carried around the body on LDL’s. The body only uses a certain amount of these LDL’s; the rest being left to circulate in the blood The cardio protective quality of alcohol seems to be from the increase of high density lipoproteins. HDL’s are responsible for mopping up the excess levels of LDL’s. If LDL levels increase they deposit their cholesterol on the wall of arteries. Over time, the affected artery narrows. This process is called atherosclerosis. Blood flow is reduced due to this narrowing and is unable to deliver oxygen to the heart muscle beyond the blockage. This is why when people with angina undergo exercise, they have to use a spray which helps to open up the artery, and increase the amount of blood flow through it.
For the small minority of people who have problems regulating their alcohol intake, and are consuming more than the current government guidelines, their risk of significant heart disease increases by 2%, and the risk of stroke increases by 9%.
40% of men and 23% of women in the UK regularly consume more than the recommended daily intake of alcohol.