A new study has shown how binge-drinking men suffer from rapidly deteriorating circulatory health.
Simply reporting one hangover a year is linked to a doubled risk of stroke, Finnish researchers found.
Researcher Sanna Rantakömi studied decay in the circulatory systems of some 2,600 men over an 11 year period, using ultra-sound scans of coronary arteries.
She also studied numbers of hangovers and numbers of strokes.
The study showed that men who drank more than six units of alcohol a time suffered an increase in plaque in the arteries at least 20% greater than those who drank less.
Dr Rantakömi and her fellow researchers also studied the effect of alcohol on people with high blood pressure – showing that heaving drinking nearly doubled the risk of stroke.
The research also showed that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol seemed to protect against disease.
She says: "Heavy drinking and binge drinking during weekends are typical drinking patterns in Finland and in the Baltic countries, and these drinking patterns are much more common among men than women."
Alcohol consumption and the risk of stroke among hypertensive and overweight men Journal of Neurology. 2013; 260:534-539
Hangover and the risk of stroke in middle-aged men. Acta neurol Scand. 2013; 127:186-191 DOI:10.1111/j.1600-0404.2012.01696.x.
Leave a Reply