June Russell's Health Facts: Alcohol - Heart and Triglycerides
Occurrence/Statistics
More than 250,000 Americans have a fatal heart attack each year.
{“Secrets of the Heart,” by Sally Squires, Washington Post Health, August 8, 2000}
Each year 500,000 Americans will suffer a stroke, and 150,000 of these will die.
{“What Medicine Will Conquer Next,” Parade, Nov. 1995}
How Alcohol Interferes with Heart Health
Alcohol destroys a vital enzyme necessary for muscle contraction when ingested in any quantity. It is also risky for people with heart problems to drink at all since alcohol can reduce cardiac output.
{in the book, “Guidelines to Safe Drinking,” Nicolas Pace, MD, 1984}
Alcohol inhibits enzymes needed for heart contraction. The reduction of coronary disease from alcohol consumption is only a weak association (30%) and it would be irresponsible to advise anyone to consume alcohol to reduce risks of coronary disease. Some studies have come into question because of other variables that could have caused the outcome. Many experts in the field state that they do not recommend alcohol to reduce coronary disease because of the damaging effects on the cardiovascular system. Alcohol use is associated with deleterious effects on virtually every part of the body. Eliminating or reducing alcohol can reduce the symptoms of heart failure and improve the quality of your life.
{Alcohol Health and Research World, 1989, and Dept. of Health and Human Services, 1990}
Alcohol interferes with calcium absorption which is needed for heart contraction, so it is likely to impair the strength of the heart muscle.
{Alcohol Health and Research World, 1990, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services}
Alcohol makes every kind of irregular heart rhythm worse, says Paul Hopkins, MD, doctor of internal medicine, University of Utah, Cardiovascular Genetics Research Center in Salt Lake City. Eliminate alcohol and you may be able to reduce or prevent symptoms of palpitations.
{“Getting Healthy Now,” book by Gary Null, 1999 - www.sevenstories.com}
Low to moderate doses of alcohol cause blood vessels within muscles to constrict, while causing those at the surface of the skin to dilate. Blood cannot reach the muscles where it is needed and performance is diminished.
{Health and Human Services, pamphlet no. (CDC) 89-8414, DHHS publication} Editor's comment: The heart is a muscle.
The adverse effects of alcohol on the heart muscle, or myocardium, have been known since the 1700's, and although the reason is unclear, acetaldehyde (the first product of alcohol oxidation), may induce myocardial damage (Screiber et al.). Alcohol has been shown to diminish myocardial protein synthesis (Bing).
{"Role of Alcohol in the Diseases of the Liver," NIH.gov - September 2002}
High Blood Pressure
One in four adult Americans has high blood pressure.
{Reader’s Digest, “High Blood Pressure,” Jan. 1996}
High blood pressure can be triggered by alcohol consumption.
{Family Guide to Stroke, Heart Association, 1994, and Nutrition Action Health Letter, April 1998}
Alcohol consumption at any level significantly increases the risk of stroke, especially in women. Medical studies show that those with high blood pressure who drink alcohol should stop consumption because doing so results in a decrease in blood pressure. Men are more susceptible than women to the high blood pressure effect of alcohol.
{"The Effects of Alcohol on the Heart," Alcohol Research Center, LSUHSC, August 2002}
For more information, see Alcohol - Blood Pressure in this Web site.
Strokes
Even light drinking (two or three a week) can double the risk of hemorrhagic strokes.
{JAMA}
To reduce stroke risk, lower triglycerides as well as cholesterol. According to the Dec. 11, 2002 issue of Circulation, high triglycerides raise your risk of stroke, independent of your cholesterol levels.
{Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, Focus on Healthy Aging newsletter, February 2002} Editor's comment: Even small amounts of alcohol increase triglycerides.
Panic Disorder
Up to 5% in the general population have panic disorder and about one-fourth of the population experiences panic attacks from time to time. If you have the double disease of panic disorder and coronary disease, then it’s a cause for concern because panic attacks may also restrict blood flow to the heart, resulting in chest pain in patients who have heart disease, says Dr. Richard Fleet, of the Montreal Heart Institute. When artificially inducing panic attacks, 80% of the patients with panic disorder experienced reduced flow to the heart upon the onset of the panic attack, while 40% of those without the disorder experienced such an effect.
{“Panic attacks endanger heart health,” HealthCentral, March 2001} Editor's comment: Note that the use of alcohol increases the incidence of panic attacks.
Triglycerides
A study reported that wine consumption in patients who had experienced a heart attack resulted in not only higher HDL levels, but also higher LDL and triglyceride levels. Avoid alcohol if you have heart failure.
{CBSMedscape.com - Oct. 1999}
Reuters Health reports that researchers have shown that people with elevated triglycerides are at an increased risk of having a heart attack, even when their cholesterol levels are normal. This study adds to the growing evidence on the importance of high triglycerides as a risk factor for heart disease.
{HealthCentral.com - June 2000}
High blood levels of triglycerides often go hand in hand with low levels of “good” HDL cholesterol, and in a number of cases, high “bad” LDL cholesterol. The lifestyle steps necessary for improving the levels of these various substances in the blood often overlap, but not always. Decrease and cut way back on alcohol consumption.
{“When Your Number’s Up, Is Your Number Up?” Washington Post Health, August 1, 2000}
Alcohol reduces the amount of the enzyme that breaks down triglycerides.
{Steven Inkles, MD, assistant clinical professor of medicine at UCLA Medical School and physician at Pritikin Longevity Center}
Alcohol spurs the liver to make more triglycerides, and even light drinking (two to four ounces of wine a week) can raise triglycerides.
{Diabetes Organization, Feb. 2000, and Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, July 1997}
If your triglycerides are high, eliminate wine/alcohol. Alcohol is the most potent substance for raising plasma triglycerides, and those who have high triglycerides are prone to diabetes over time - over the next few years. If triglycerides are elevated, stop drinking alcohol, and have your triglyceride level retested. You may have a triglyceride disorder and are only harming yourself by drinking alcohol, even in small quantities. In addition, the alcohol will potentiate the toxicity of cholesterol-lowering medications much more than the drugs would do alone. Actually the major problem with the statins and liver problems are because of the use of alcohol.
{"Heart Health," Robert Rosenson, MD, Director of Preventive Cardiology at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke's Hospital in Chicago, People's Pharmacy, Oct. 2, 1999, PBS Radio Health Talk Show}
Blood triglycerides are a marker for heart disease, and likely an independent risk factor as well. People with high triglyceride levels or Syndrome X should severely limit their consumption of alcohol, or abstain from it altogether. Even a small amount can have a dramatic effect on triglyceride levels.
{Harvard Health Letter, webpoint.com - Sec. 2001}
Triglycerides are only accurately measured after an 8 to 12 hour fast. High triglycerides and low levels of HDL (good cholesterol) that usually co-exist are important risk factors for the main type of stroke (called the ischemic stroke) among patients with heart disease.
{from 'Circulation,' on mercola.com and Dr. Mercola's comments, Dec. 2001}
Alcohol, even more than sugar, may increase blood triglycerides. Alcohol is high in calories and low in nutrients: avoid alcohol.
{College of Family and Consumer Sciences, Holly Alley, MS, RD, LD - nutrition specialist, Dept. of Food and Nutrition. Dec. 2001}
If you do not require insulin, or are not diabetic, you may be able to manage your elevated triglycerides by avoiding alcohol. Some people are more susceptible to developing raised triglycerides in response to alcohol, so if you consume alcohol regularly, you may lower your triglycerides by avoiding alcohol. Alcohol also poisons the liver.
{nutrition.cornell.edu - Dec. 2001}
A study in 'Circulation' suggests that levels of triglycerides in the blood may predict heart attack risk, as well as other more well-known blood fats such as LDL and HDL cholesterol. High triglycerides alone increase the risk of heart attack nearly three-fold, according to this report. The ratio of triglycerides to HDL was the strongest predictor of a heart attack, even more accurate than the LDL/HDL ratio reported the Harvard lead study.
{"Triglycerides May Predict Heart Risk," Dr. Mercola on mercola.com - Aug. 29, 2001} Editor's comment: Even light drinking, two to three times per week, can elevate triglycerides.
Alcohol is the most potent substance for raising plasma triglycerides, and those who have high triglycerides are prone to diabetes over the next several years. If you have a triglyceride disorder you will harm yourself if you drink alcohol, even in small quantities. In addition, alcohol will potentiate the toxicity of cholesterol-lowering medications; actually this is a major problem with the statins.
{Dr. Robert Rosenson, director of preventive cardiology at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s Hospital in Chicago, People’s Pharmacy, Public Radio, Show #284, Oct. 1999}
A high triglyceride level is anything over 2.0 mmol/l. Alcohol intake can contribute to high triglycerides, which may increase the risk of coronary disease and stroke.
{‘Frequently asked questions,” www.bhf.org.uk - September 2002}
Because alcohol can increase triglycerides, reduce or eliminate alcohol if you have high triglyceride levels.
{“Should You Drink Wine?” Dr. Weil’s Self Healing newsletter, December 2002}
Cholesterol
LDL (bad) cholesterol rose even when the amount of alcohol consumption was fairly small.
{Prevention, Nov. 1987}
Alcohol taxes the liver and reduces the ability to detoxify blood, causing more harm to blood vessels. If the liver is busy processing alcohol, it is less able to process cholesterol.
{JAMA, 1985 study in Nutrition Science News, March 1999}
Occurrence/Statistics
More than 250,000 Americans have a fatal heart attack each year.
{“Secrets of the Heart,” by Sally Squires, Washington Post Health, August 8, 2000}
Each year 500,000 Americans will suffer a stroke, and 150,000 of these will die.
{“What Medicine Will Conquer Next,” Parade, Nov. 1995}
How Alcohol Interferes with Heart Health
Alcohol destroys a vital enzyme necessary for muscle contraction when ingested in any quantity. It is also risky for people with heart problems to drink at all since alcohol can reduce cardiac output.
{in the book, “Guidelines to Safe Drinking,” Nicolas Pace, MD, 1984}
Alcohol inhibits enzymes needed for heart contraction. The reduction of coronary disease from alcohol consumption is only a weak association (30%) and it would be irresponsible to advise anyone to consume alcohol to reduce risks of coronary disease. Some studies have come into question because of other variables that could have caused the outcome. Many experts in the field state that they do not recommend alcohol to reduce coronary disease because of the damaging effects on the cardiovascular system. Alcohol use is associated with deleterious effects on virtually every part of the body. Eliminating or reducing alcohol can reduce the symptoms of heart failure and improve the quality of your life.
{Alcohol Health and Research World, 1989, and Dept. of Health and Human Services, 1990}
Alcohol interferes with calcium absorption which is needed for heart contraction, so it is likely to impair the strength of the heart muscle.
{Alcohol Health and Research World, 1990, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services}
Alcohol makes every kind of irregular heart rhythm worse, says Paul Hopkins, MD, doctor of internal medicine, University of Utah, Cardiovascular Genetics Research Center in Salt Lake City. Eliminate alcohol and you may be able to reduce or prevent symptoms of palpitations.
{“Getting Healthy Now,” book by Gary Null, 1999 - www.sevenstories.com}
Low to moderate doses of alcohol cause blood vessels within muscles to constrict, while causing those at the surface of the skin to dilate. Blood cannot reach the muscles where it is needed and performance is diminished.
{Health and Human Services, pamphlet no. (CDC) 89-8414, DHHS publication} Editor's comment: The heart is a muscle.
The adverse effects of alcohol on the heart muscle, or myocardium, have been known since the 1700's, and although the reason is unclear, acetaldehyde (the first product of alcohol oxidation), may induce myocardial damage (Screiber et al.). Alcohol has been shown to diminish myocardial protein synthesis (Bing).
{"Role of Alcohol in the Diseases of the Liver," NIH.gov - September 2002}
High Blood Pressure
One in four adult Americans has high blood pressure.
{Reader’s Digest, “High Blood Pressure,” Jan. 1996}
High blood pressure can be triggered by alcohol consumption.
{Family Guide to Stroke, Heart Association, 1994, and Nutrition Action Health Letter, April 1998}
Alcohol consumption at any level significantly increases the risk of stroke, especially in women. Medical studies show that those with high blood pressure who drink alcohol should stop consumption because doing so results in a decrease in blood pressure. Men are more susceptible than women to the high blood pressure effect of alcohol.
{"The Effects of Alcohol on the Heart," Alcohol Research Center, LSUHSC, August 2002}
For more information, see Alcohol - Blood Pressure in this Web site.
Strokes
Even light drinking (two or three a week) can double the risk of hemorrhagic strokes.
{JAMA}
To reduce stroke risk, lower triglycerides as well as cholesterol. According to the Dec. 11, 2002 issue of Circulation, high triglycerides raise your risk of stroke, independent of your cholesterol levels.
{Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, Focus on Healthy Aging newsletter, February 2002} Editor's comment: Even small amounts of alcohol increase triglycerides.
Panic Disorder
Up to 5% in the general population have panic disorder and about one-fourth of the population experiences panic attacks from time to time. If you have the double disease of panic disorder and coronary disease, then it’s a cause for concern because panic attacks may also restrict blood flow to the heart, resulting in chest pain in patients who have heart disease, says Dr. Richard Fleet, of the Montreal Heart Institute. When artificially inducing panic attacks, 80% of the patients with panic disorder experienced reduced flow to the heart upon the onset of the panic attack, while 40% of those without the disorder experienced such an effect.
{“Panic attacks endanger heart health,” HealthCentral, March 2001} Editor's comment: Note that the use of alcohol increases the incidence of panic attacks.
Triglycerides
A study reported that wine consumption in patients who had experienced a heart attack resulted in not only higher HDL levels, but also higher LDL and triglyceride levels. Avoid alcohol if you have heart failure.
{CBSMedscape.com - Oct. 1999}
Reuters Health reports that researchers have shown that people with elevated triglycerides are at an increased risk of having a heart attack, even when their cholesterol levels are normal. This study adds to the growing evidence on the importance of high triglycerides as a risk factor for heart disease.
{HealthCentral.com - June 2000}
High blood levels of triglycerides often go hand in hand with low levels of “good” HDL cholesterol, and in a number of cases, high “bad” LDL cholesterol. The lifestyle steps necessary for improving the levels of these various substances in the blood often overlap, but not always. Decrease and cut way back on alcohol consumption.
{“When Your Number’s Up, Is Your Number Up?” Washington Post Health, August 1, 2000}
Alcohol reduces the amount of the enzyme that breaks down triglycerides.
{Steven Inkles, MD, assistant clinical professor of medicine at UCLA Medical School and physician at Pritikin Longevity Center}
Alcohol spurs the liver to make more triglycerides, and even light drinking (two to four ounces of wine a week) can raise triglycerides.
{Diabetes Organization, Feb. 2000, and Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, July 1997}
If your triglycerides are high, eliminate wine/alcohol. Alcohol is the most potent substance for raising plasma triglycerides, and those who have high triglycerides are prone to diabetes over time - over the next few years. If triglycerides are elevated, stop drinking alcohol, and have your triglyceride level retested. You may have a triglyceride disorder and are only harming yourself by drinking alcohol, even in small quantities. In addition, the alcohol will potentiate the toxicity of cholesterol-lowering medications much more than the drugs would do alone. Actually the major problem with the statins and liver problems are because of the use of alcohol.
{"Heart Health," Robert Rosenson, MD, Director of Preventive Cardiology at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke's Hospital in Chicago, People's Pharmacy, Oct. 2, 1999, PBS Radio Health Talk Show}
Blood triglycerides are a marker for heart disease, and likely an independent risk factor as well. People with high triglyceride levels or Syndrome X should severely limit their consumption of alcohol, or abstain from it altogether. Even a small amount can have a dramatic effect on triglyceride levels.
{Harvard Health Letter, webpoint.com - Sec. 2001}
Triglycerides are only accurately measured after an 8 to 12 hour fast. High triglycerides and low levels of HDL (good cholesterol) that usually co-exist are important risk factors for the main type of stroke (called the ischemic stroke) among patients with heart disease.
{from 'Circulation,' on mercola.com and Dr. Mercola's comments, Dec. 2001}
Alcohol, even more than sugar, may increase blood triglycerides. Alcohol is high in calories and low in nutrients: avoid alcohol.
{College of Family and Consumer Sciences, Holly Alley, MS, RD, LD - nutrition specialist, Dept. of Food and Nutrition. Dec. 2001}
If you do not require insulin, or are not diabetic, you may be able to manage your elevated triglycerides by avoiding alcohol. Some people are more susceptible to developing raised triglycerides in response to alcohol, so if you consume alcohol regularly, you may lower your triglycerides by avoiding alcohol. Alcohol also poisons the liver.
{nutrition.cornell.edu - Dec. 2001}
A study in 'Circulation' suggests that levels of triglycerides in the blood may predict heart attack risk, as well as other more well-known blood fats such as LDL and HDL cholesterol. High triglycerides alone increase the risk of heart attack nearly three-fold, according to this report. The ratio of triglycerides to HDL was the strongest predictor of a heart attack, even more accurate than the LDL/HDL ratio reported the Harvard lead study.
{"Triglycerides May Predict Heart Risk," Dr. Mercola on mercola.com - Aug. 29, 2001} Editor's comment: Even light drinking, two to three times per week, can elevate triglycerides.
Alcohol is the most potent substance for raising plasma triglycerides, and those who have high triglycerides are prone to diabetes over the next several years. If you have a triglyceride disorder you will harm yourself if you drink alcohol, even in small quantities. In addition, alcohol will potentiate the toxicity of cholesterol-lowering medications; actually this is a major problem with the statins.
{Dr. Robert Rosenson, director of preventive cardiology at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s Hospital in Chicago, People’s Pharmacy, Public Radio, Show #284, Oct. 1999}
A high triglyceride level is anything over 2.0 mmol/l. Alcohol intake can contribute to high triglycerides, which may increase the risk of coronary disease and stroke.
{‘Frequently asked questions,” www.bhf.org.uk - September 2002}
Because alcohol can increase triglycerides, reduce or eliminate alcohol if you have high triglyceride levels.
{“Should You Drink Wine?” Dr. Weil’s Self Healing newsletter, December 2002}
Cholesterol
LDL (bad) cholesterol rose even when the amount of alcohol consumption was fairly small.
{Prevention, Nov. 1987}
Alcohol taxes the liver and reduces the ability to detoxify blood, causing more harm to blood vessels. If the liver is busy processing alcohol, it is less able to process cholesterol.
{JAMA, 1985 study in Nutrition Science News, March 1999}
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