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The drinking habit linked to stroke 10 years early
One of the most confusing topics when it comes to health is alcohol consumption.
On the one hand, you have research showing that drinking a lager a day keeps your gut flora robust, or that light drinkers have less cancer than teetotalers.
Studies have even shown that a few drinks could lower diabetes risk.
On the other hand, researchers have warned that drinking can cause everything from accelerated muscle loss to DNA damage.
But here’s the secret in each of those findings…
Drinking alcohol only produced benefits when done in moderation. Heavy drinking sets the stage for devastating consequences for your health.
And one more consequence you can add to the list is an earlier risk of stroke that can also result in more severe brain bleeds.
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Deadly and disabling brain bleeds
Research at Massachusetts General Hospital delved into the risk and severity of brain bleeds compared to alcohol consumption in 1,600 patients over a 16-year period.
“The brain bleed is one of the most lethal and disabling conditions known to human beings,” explains study author Edip Gurol, MD. “They come on suddenly, cause severe damage, and often leave patients with life-changing disabilities. It’s one of the most difficult conditions to recover from.”
And the results showed that heavy drinking dramatically increased the likelihood of having a type of dangerously large brain bleed, known as an intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) or hemorrhagic stroke, at a younger age.
This type of stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures, allowing blood to seep into and damage the surrounding brain tissue. In previous research, intracerebral hemorrhage increased dementia risk by 150% in survivors.
According to the researchers, compared with people who drank less than three daily drinks, heavy drinkers were younger at ICH onset — an average age of 64 versus 75 years. And they had bleeds that were 70% bigger.
These bleeds were also twice as likely to occur deep inside the brain and spread into the brain’s fluid-filled spaces, which can lead to damage to critical brain areas.
The researchers saw that even lower levels of alcohol intake, two drinks per day, were significantly associated with a younger age of onset of a brain bleed.
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Alcohol’s effect on your blood and vessels
According to the researchers, the danger heavy drinking poses to your brain could be due to the effects of alcohol on your blood as well as your blood vessels.
They say that heavy drinking was tied to:
- Higher blood pressure – which weakens the brain’s blood vessels, making it easier for them to burst
- Lower platelet counts – which makes it harder to stop a bleed
- Damage to the small blood vessels of the brain – which is a critical risk factor for brain hemorrhage and is linked to dementia, memory loss and problems walking
Is it any wonder then that the risk of larger, earlier brain bleeds is higher under these conditions?
A moderate approach to better brain health
“We now know that heavy drinking leads to larger, earlier brain bleeds,” says Gurol. “Minimizing or stopping alcohol use is an important step to lower that risk. Even for people at relatively low brain bleeding risk, limiting alcohol consumption to no more than three drinks per week may be an effective measure to protect against all types of stroke and to preserve both brain and cardiovascular health.”
Clearly, drinking less is best for brain health.
And even though health guidelines suggest limiting daily alcohol to two or fewer drinks for men and one or fewer drinks for women, let me remind you that this study found even low amounts were significantly associated with the risk of brain bleed.
Tools that can help reduce alcohol intake include:
- Keeping a drink journal to track intake
- Setting a daily limit and having additional drink options handy (like healthy juices and sparkling waters).
- Including friends and family, who can offer support, on goals to cut down on drinking alcohol can increase the chances of success when trying to embrace a healthier lifestyle.
- Replacing cocktails with mocktails, like these recipes.
Ultimately, the goal should be to avoid alcohol altogether to avoid these risks.
Editor’s note: What do you really know about stroke? The truth is, only 10% of stroke survivors recover almost completely, and all doctors can offer is what to do after a stroke occurs. That’s unacceptable considering 80% of strokes are preventable! Click here to discover how to escape The Stroke Syndrome: 5 Signs it’s Stalking You — Plus the Hidden Causes and Preventive Measures You’ve Never Heard About!
Sources:
Heavy Alcohol Use Linked to Risk of Brain Bleed Earlier in Life — Mass General Brigham
16 Expert Tips For Reducing Your Alcohol Consumption — Forbes
Three or More Drinks a Day Linked to More Severe Brain Bleeds — MEDPAGE TODAY
By Dr. Adria Schmedthorst
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