Heavy drinking linked to higher stroke risk

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Those consuming three or more drinks a day have a 42 per cent higher risk of stroke than non-drinkers.
It's already known that alcohol can make people more vulnerable to stroke. What has not been clear is how drinking patterns influence the risk. Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard School of Public Health now reveal new data from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study which clarifies this issue.

The Study covers over 38,000 men aged 40 to 75. Those consuming three or more drinks a day had a 42 per cent higher risk of having an ischemic stroke - one caused by a blood clot blocking one of the arteries serving the brain, compared with non-drinkers. Light to moderate drinkers actually had a reduced stroke risk - 32 per cent less than for non-drinkers. However, the 'window' where the benefits of alcohol outweigh its risk is smaller than for heart disease. As has been found in other studies, red wine seems to exert a more positive effect than other kinds of alcohol, although it is not clear why. In this study population, red wine has not been found to protect more against heart disease than other drinks.

Source
Annals of Internal Medicine 4th January 2005

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