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Scientists discover exactly why alcohol increases heart disease risk in men

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
Long-term heavy alcohol consumption stiffens the arteries, increasing heart attack risk, new research shows. Image: william87 via iStock
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It has long been known that excess alcohol intake can increase a person's risk of cardiovascular problems, and new research from UK scientists shows exactly why this is the case.

Doctors from University College London have published the results of a 25-year study that aimed to demonstrate how long-term alcohol consumption affects the heart. They found that, over time, alcohol intake can lead to a build-up of collagen in the bloodstream, which can clog the arteries, causing them to stiffen, consequently triggering a heart attack.

This finding was made following the long-term monitoring of participants' pulse wave velocity (PWV), which is an indicator of arterial stiffness. When PWV levels are high, the blood is not able to travel around the body as easily as it should be able, meaning heart problems are more likely.

It was found that the heaviest drinkers typically had the highest PWV levels, so doctors may wish to advise their patients from a young age to cut down on their alcohol intake in order to reduce their future heart attack risk.

What's more, the research also led to the discovery that men may be at higher risk of alcohol-induced heart disease than their female counterparts. Although the majority of study participants were male, the authors believe that men may be more susceptible to alcohol interfering with their blood flow and subsequently the elasticity of their arteries.

Lead author of the study Darragh O'Neill commented: "Heavier alcohol intake may activate certain enzymes that would lead to collagen accumulation, which could in turn exacerbate the rate of arterial stiffening.

"Based on these findings, the research team wants to look at multiple groups of people - since this study was limited to a single group that was mostly male - and identify the relationship that drinking patterns over time have with other indicators of cardiovascular disease."

Further research is also being planned in order to discover exactly why alcohol adversely affects the elasticity of the arteries.

Written by Mathew Horton

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