The effects of alcohol on stroke risk vary between ischaemic and haemorrhagic disease, according to a new Swedish study today.
Moderate drinking is linked to a reduced risk of ischaemic stroke only, researchers found.
And heavy drinking – of more than two units a day – is linked most strongly to increased risk of haemorrhagic stroke, according to the study of more than 21,000 patients.
Researcher Dr Susanna Larsson said the effect of heavy drinking was probably through increased blood pressure.
The findings were reported today in BMC Medicine.
The study found that heavy drinkers were 1.6 times as likely as others to suffer from intracerebral haemorrhage and 1.8 times more likely to suffer from subarachnoid haemorrhage.
The researchers conducted a systematic review of existing research and included fresh data from Swedish population studies.
Researcher Dr Susanna Larsson said: "Previous research has found an association between alcohol consumption and lower levels of fibrinogen – a protein in the body which helps the formation of blood clots.
"While this may explain the association between light to moderate alcohol consumption and lower ischemic stroke risk, the adverse effect of alcohol consumption on blood pressure – a major risk factor for stroke – may increase the risk of haemorrhagic stroke and outweigh any potential benefit."
Larsson et al. Differing association of alcohol consumption with different stroke types: a systematic review and meta-analysis BMC Medicine 24 November 2016; doi: 10.1186/s12916-016-0721-4 [abstract]
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