Healthy Living: Drinking and heart disease
(WHTM) — A recent study found women who drink at least eight alcoholic beverages per week were 33% to 51% more likely to develop heart disease.
This recent study involved roughly 430,000 women who were between the ages of 18 and 65.
“There’s lots of myths out there about drinking alcohol and how maybe drinking one glass of red wine decreases heart disease, but we know that alcohol actually increases blood pressure, it increases your risk for getting atrial fibrillation,” Dr. Leslie Cho, Cardiologist of the Cleveland Clinic said.
Dr. Cho says that since the pandemic, it appears women have been drinking more than they used to, with some women saying that they do it to help with stress. Dr. Cho advises those individuals to reflect on their drinking habits and consider healthier options for relaxation.
Some healthier options to relax consist of practicing mindfulness, meditation, or cognitive behavioral therapy.
One important thing to note is that it is not just daily drinkers that need to be careful!
“There are people who don’t drink on weekdays but then they drink heavily on Friday, Saturday and Sunday; and I think just becoming aware of how much we drink,” Dr. Cho explained. “If you are drinking more than 6 to 8 ounces, a glass of wine, or if you’re drinking more than a glass of beer, 12 ounces, or more than an ounce or two of hard liquor a day, that’s too much.”
Lastly, Dr. Cho also encourages women to make sure they are seeing their primary care physicians for annual checkups. She says that it is important to know where you stand with your blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose levels.
abc27 news will keep you updated as more information becomes available.
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