Women Drinkers at Greater Heart Disease Risk
But the study also found that not drinking at all was also associated with an 80 percent increased risk of heart disease compared with those who had a couple of drinks a week.
"Small and often is probably the best method for drinking but we certainly wouldn't endorse people who don't drink go out and start as a result of this and other studies, the study's lead researcher, Dr.Annie Britton, told reporters. "The best advice is not to drink more than the government's guidelines of around 21 units for women (roughly 12 drinks per week)."
"Women are more vulnerable than men to alcohol in many ways. Women have lower levels of alcohol dehydrogenase, the enzyme that breaks down alcohol," said Lesley King-Lewis, the chief executive of the charity Action on Addiction. "This in combination with a smaller stature and lower body water content, means that women get drunk faster and stay drunk longer, which increases the health risks associated with alcohol."
"Women who drink heavily are at significantly greater risk of developing liver disease, heart disease, hypoglycaemia and diabetes, breast cancer, fertility problems and mental illness, as a result of their drinking than men who drink heavily," King-Lewis said. "Women who use oral contraceptives clear alcohol from their systems more slowly than those who don't."
A previous UK study reported significant increases in the number of female binge drinkers with young professional women twice as likely to drink at least five days a week and drinking greater quantities than other women.
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Thanks for sharing your experiences regarding this trial.Heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases are devastating to women, too. In fact, coronary heart disease, which causes heart attack, is the leading cause of death. As women grow older, their risk of heart disease and stroke begins to rise and keeps rising with age. Black women have a greater risk of heart disease and stroke than white women.Smoking is the single most preventable cause of death as it is a major cause of cardiovascular heart disease among women. Women smokers who use birth control pills have a higher risk of heart attack and stroke than nonsmokers who use them.The risk of heart disease in people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol (an average of one drink for women per day) is lower than in nondrinkers. However, it’s not recommended that nondrinkers start using alcohol or increase the amount they drink. Excessive drinking and binge drinking can contribute to obesity, high triglycerides, cancer and other diseases, raise blood pressure, cause heart failure and lead to stroke. Pregnant women should not drink alcohol in any form.