Effects of alcohol on your heart

The article was written by Cardiologist - Department of Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital

Alcohol can be a “depressive” drug, but even small amounts can affect important functions such as speech and movement. Drinking very large amounts at once can slow your heart rate and reduce your breathing to dangerous levels.
If you drink alcohol regularly, you may feel almost normal, which usually means you have a tolerance - adapting to the effects of alcohol.
Remember, the more you drink, the more damage your body gets.

There is a very clear link between regularly drinking too much alcohol and high blood pressure. Over time, high blood pressure can cause cardiovascular disease, increasing the risk of angina and stroke.
Therefore, people who drink heavily regularly will be advised to cut back or stop drinking altogether.

The definition of permissible amount of alcohol varies both within and between countries. US guidelines from 2015 to 2020 define allowable alcohol consumption as 1 alcohol unit equivalent to 8 grams of alcohol (330ml beer 3.75%) for women and 2 units of alcohol for men.
Recommendations say that both men and women are best advised not to drink alcohol more than 14 units per week regularly, if you drink more than 14 units per week, preferably spread over 3 days.
Excessive drinking can cause serious health problems, such as cardiomyopathy (the heart muscle is damaged and can't work as efficiently as before) and arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat). It also increases the risk of stroke.

In general, alcohol carries more risks than benefits. No long-term randomized trials of alcohol intake were performed. No levels of intake have been shown to be beneficial for the heart.
The latest evidence suggests that the benefits of drinking alcohol on heart health are scant and that benefit occurs only in a small population. As in the UK: women over 55 use less than 5 units per week.
There's definitely no reason to start drinking if you haven't. Nor has any beverage (red wine or beer) ever proven to be "better" than another.
Excessive alcohol use can lead to many side effects including liver disease, heart failure, increased risk of cancer, neurological complications and injury.

If you have an arrhythmia, alcohol can further increase your risk of an arrhythmia. This is especially dangerous in people with hereditary arrhythmias.
Heavy drinking once causes the first arrhythmia, the risk of arrhythmia increases in subsequent episodes.
When you stop drinking or reduce your alcohol intake, you should see a rapid improvement in your blood pressure within a few days.
>>> Risk of cardiovascular disease with people who regularly drink alcohol

In the hospital, you cannot drink alcohol at this time. At home, if you drink alcohol again and your blood pressure changes, see your doctor to adjust your dose.
Your doctor will usually advise you when it is safe to start drinking again. Psychologically, however, many people feel anxious about their condition after they return home from the hospital, especially after open-heart surgery.
Until your anxiety is gone, it's best not to drink again, as it can make these anxious feelings worse and last longer.

For many long-term drug users, alcohol can make the medication less effective. If you are taking medicine for diabetes or you are taking an anticoagulant such as warfarin, alcohol can affect how this medicine works, so it is important to tell your doctor.
Drugs like statins (which act directly on the liver) can cause further liver damage when you drink alcohol.

Often, people think that only food has a lot of calories but forget that alcoholic drinks are also high in calories.
In its purest form, 1 gram of alcohol contains about 7 kcal. One unit of alcohol is about 8g, or 56 kcal. Meanwhile, 1 gram of carbohydrate contains only 4 kcal.
Regularly consuming too many calories can lead to weight gain and obesity, which is a risk factor for angina, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
Alcohol can also make you overeat. than usual especially less healthy foods (high in calories).
People who have a habit of drinking should change their diet, healthy lifestyle, reduce alcohol consumption, and perform periodic health check-ups to help detect the risk of heart disease early, thereby having an effective treatment plan. optimal results. Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital has general health checkup packages suitable for each age, gender and individual needs of customers with a reasonable price policy, including:
Health checkup package diamond general health checkup package Vip general health checkup special health checkup package Comprehensive general health checkup package standard general health checkup The patient's examination results will be returned to your home. After receiving the results of the general health examination, if you detect diseases that require intensive examination and treatment, you can use services from other specialties right at the Hospital with quality treatment and services. outstanding customer service.