Excessive alcohol intake increases risk of heart failure in high-risk men

Heavy drinking (more than 5 drinks/day) is associated with an increased risk of heart failure in men with ischemia (insufficient blood supply to an organ due to a blocked artery) compared to moderate drinkers.

Some studies have shown that light-to-moderate drinking may be associated with a reduced risk of heart failure (HF) but the evidence is not consistent. British scientists therefore recently examined the association between the consumption of alcoholic beverages and HF in 3530 men, aged 60-79 years. After a follow-up period of 11 years, 198 cases of HF were observed. No evidence was found that light-to-moderate drinking lowered the risk of HF in older men without a history of heart attack. Excessive drinking (≥5 drinks/day), however, was associated with an increased risk of HF in vulnerable men with underlying myocardial ischaemia.

Wannamethee SG, Whincup PH, Lennon L, et al. Alcohol consumption and risk of incident heart failure in older men: a prospective cohort study. Open Heart. 201511;2(1):e000266.

For more information about this article, read the scientific abstract here.