Alcohol and cardiovascular disease

See also: Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
Total recorded alcohol per capita consumption, in litres of pure alcohol[1]

In a 2018 study on 599,912 drinkers, a roughly linear association was found with alcohol consumption and a higher risk of stroke, coronary artery disease excluding myocardial infarction, heart failure, fatal hypertensive disease, and fatal aortic aneurysm, even for moderate drinkers.[2][non-primary source needed] Alcohol abuse may also cause occupational cardiovascular disease.[3] The American Heart Association states that people who are currently non-drinkers should not start drinking alcohol.[4]

Excessive alcohol intake is associated with an elevated risk of alcoholic liver disease (ALD), heart failure, some cancers, and accidental injury, and is a leading cause of preventable death in industrialized countries.[5] Some studies have suggested that one drink per day may have cardiovascular benefits. However, these studies are controversial,[6] and the common view is that no level of alcohol consumption improves health.[7] There is far more evidence for the harmful effects of alcohol than for any beneficial effects.[8] It is also recognized that the alcohol industry may promote the unsubstantiated benefits of moderate drinking.[9]

  1. ^ World Health Organization (2004). Global Status Report on Alcohol 2004 (PDF). Geneva. ISBN 978-92-4-156272-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ^ Wood AM, Kaptoge S, Butterworth AS, Willeit P, Warnakula S, Bolton T, et al. (2018). "Risk thresholds for alcohol consumption: combined analysis of individual-participant data for 599 912 current drinkers in 83 prospective studies". The Lancet. 391 (10129): 1513–1523. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30134-X. PMC 5899998. PMID 29676281.
  3. ^ Frone MR (1999). "Work stress and alcohol use". Alcohol Research & Health. 23 (4): 284–291. PMC 6760381. PMID 10890825.
  4. ^ "Alcohol and Heart Health". American Heart Association. August 15, 2014.
  5. ^ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2004). "Alcohol-attributable deaths and years of potential life lost--United States, 2001". MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 53 (37): 866–870. PMID 15385917.
  6. ^ American Heart Association (2020). "Is drinking alcohol part of a healthy lifestyle?". American Heart Association.
  7. ^ Burton, Robyn; Sheron, Nick (September 2018). "No level of alcohol consumption improves health". The Lancet. 392 (10152): 987–988. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31571-X. PMID 30146328. S2CID 52075453.
  8. ^ Fekjær, Hans Olav (December 2013). "Alcohol—a universal preventive agent? A critical analysis". Addiction. 108 (12): 2051–2057. doi:10.1111/add.12104. ISSN 0965-2140. PMID 23297738.
  9. ^ Casswell, Sally (April 2013). "Vested interests in addiction research and policy. Why do we not see the corporate interests of the alcohol industry as clearly as we see those of the tobacco industry?: Alcohol corporate interests compared with tobacco". Addiction. 108 (4): 680–685. doi:10.1111/add.12011. PMID 23496067.