The subject of alcohol and heart attacks is important. Moderate drinking reduces the risk of heart attack.

Heart attack is the common name for myocardial infarction. It occurs when there is a sudden blockage in the heart’s blood supply. If this lasts too long it can cause heart damage or death.

Heart Attack Risk Factors and Symptoms

A number of things factors increase the risk of heart attack. They include these.

• • A tobacco smoker.
  • Male
  • Older
  • Overweight
  • High blood pressure.
  • Diabetic
  • Not exercising.

Some risk factors can’t be changed. But most can. We can stop smoking. Exercise. Lose weight. Eat less fat. And we can follow our doctor’s advice.

Symptoms of a heart attack may include some of these.

• • Feeling of heaviness in the chest.
  • Pain in the arm, back, or jaw.
  • Dizziness
  • Sweating
  • Racing heart.
  • Anxiety
  • Coughing
  • Short breath.
  • Vomiting

If in doubt, get immediate medical help. Don’t take a chance!

Study of Alcohol and Heart Attacks

Researchers examined alcohol and heart attacks. They looked at 58,827 rural Norwegians for an average of 11.6 years. The residents of the region are almost all light drinkers or abstainers. The temperance movement is strong. There is no social pressure to drink. Abstainers are usually life-long teetotalers. Heavy drinking is rare. There are few “sick quitters” among  abstainers.

The quantity and frequency of drinking was measured. This was at both the start and end of the study. During it, 2,966 study people had a heart attack.

Light and moderate drinking reduced heart attacks. A one drink increment in daily consumption reduced risk by 28%.

This was after adjusting for major heart disease risk factors. Accounting for “sick quitters” among abstainers had almost no effect on the results.

Frequency was more important than quantity of drinking. That’s in reducing the risk of heart attack.

The take-away on alcohol and heart attacks? Drinking frequently in moderation is good for the heart.

Alcohol and Heart Attacks

Web

• • Alcohol and Heart Health Resources.
  • Heart Attack Survival Increases by Drinking Alcohol.
  • Cardiovascular Health Benefitted from Drinking Over Guidelines.
  • Alcohol and Cardiovascular Health.
  • Effects of Alcohol on Risk of Heart Attacks.
  • Moderate Drinking Reduces the Risk of Heart Disease.
  • National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Source

• • Gemes, K., et al. Alcohol consumption is associated with a lower incidence of acute myocardial infarction. J. Inter. Med.