Alcohol: Helpful or Harmful?

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By Greg Cook

You may have read that alcohol in moderation, particularly red wine, can help your heart. That sounds like good news, especially during the holidays, when many celebrations involve drinking. The bad news is that excessive alcohol consumption knows no season. It can lead to high blood pressure, heart-rhythm abnormalities, heart failure, and stroke.
           
Research suggests that moderate drinking (one to two drinks a day) can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease or heart failure. “If you are drinking moderately, there’s probably no reason to stop, and there may be health benefits to continue,” says Tom Lee, M.D., a cardiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a professor at Harvard Medical School. However, having more than one or two drinks a day is linked to higher death rates. Plus, alcohol carries calories, which can lead to weight gain.
           
“If you’re drinking more than one drink a day for women or one to two drinks a day for men, you should cut back,” Lee says. “The health dangers quickly start to outweigh the health benefits.”
           
The American Heart Association advises those who don’t drink not to start just because of the red wine studies. “Don’t start drinking with the goal of improving your heart health,” Lee says. “There are plenty of other ways to reduce your cardiovascular risk.”

Women and alcohol
Why are there different alcohol guidelines for women and men? Female bodies are more sensitive to alcohol’s effects because they have less water and more fatty tissue than male bodies. Because water dilutes alcohol in the bloodstream and fat retains it, women are exposed to higher alcohol concentrations for longer periods than men are. Age increases the risk.
           
Another difference is that men’s stomachs secrete more of an enzyme that breaks down alcohol before it reaches the bloodstream.
           
All this means that women are more likely than men to suffer the negative consequences of drinking, including serious damage to the heart, brain, liver, and pancreas, and an increased risk of many cancers.

Handling a party
Holiday seasons, wedding receptions, and other social gatherings can pose special problems for those who drink too much, including a rapid or irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation). Doctors call it holiday heart syndrome. To avoid the downside of drinking, try these recommendations:

• Put community-wide alcohol-free celebrations on your calendar. If you
can’t find one, organize your own booze-free gathering.
• Volunteer to help. Offer your services at a soup kitchen or special holiday dinner for the homeless.
• Get moving. Dust off that treadmill. Practice yoga or tai chi. Take a walk.
• Skip any drinking occasion you’re nervous about; nothing is worth endangering your health.
• If you attend a party where drinks are served, order a clear soft drink with a lime slice.