Recent research warns that individuals consuming three or more pints of beer or glasses of wine daily increase their risk of the most severe form of stroke. Heavy drinkers face a higher likelihood of experiencing a severe stroke at a younger age and are three times more prone to displaying signs of brain aging.
A study conducted in the United States revealed that individuals regularly consuming three or more alcoholic beverages daily, categorized as “heavy drinkers,” are at risk of suffering a bleeding stroke 11 years earlier than those who do not engage in heavy drinking. Additionally, heavy drinkers are more susceptible to “intracerebral haemorrhage,” a type of stroke resulting from brain bleeding, occurring at a younger age and with more severity compared to non-heavy drinkers.
Published in the journal Neurology, the findings indicate that heavy drinkers are more predisposed to showing signs of cerebral small vessel disease, which denotes damage to small blood vessels in the brain and represents a form of long-term brain injury. Lead researcher Dr. Edip Gurol from Harvard University in Boston emphasized that intracerebral hemorrhage is the deadliest type of stroke, with cerebral small vessel disease being its primary cause.
The study, which involved 1,600 adults hospitalized for intracerebral hemorrhage and with an average age of 75, gathered information on alcohol consumption during hospital admission. Heavy alcohol use was defined as regular consumption of three or more alcoholic drinks per day, with each drink containing the equivalent of 14 grams of alcohol. Among the participants, 104 individuals (7%) met the criteria for heavy alcohol use.
Participants underwent brain scans to evaluate the stroke severity and identify signs of cerebral small vessel disease. The research team compared heavy drinkers to those who consumed fewer than three drinks daily or abstained from alcohol, revealing that heavy drinkers experienced a stroke at an average age of 64, 11 years earlier than non-heavy drinkers, and with brain bleeds that were on average 70% larger.
Dr. Gurol highlighted that heavy drinkers were twice as likely to exhibit bleeding in deep brain regions and nearly twice as likely to experience bleeding extending into the brain’s fluid-filled spaces, known as intraventricular extension, leading to poorer recovery and health outcomes among those with brain bleeds.
Furthermore, heavy drinkers were over three times more likely to display severe signs of white matter damage, such as white matter hyperintensities, often caused by cerebral small vessel disease. They were also nearly twice as likely to exhibit a pattern of cerebral small vessel disease reflecting chronic damage from high blood pressure.
Dr. Gurol pointed out that heavy drinkers had lower blood platelet counts and slightly higher blood pressure upon hospital admission compared to non-heavy drinkers, factors that could contribute to stroke severity and recovery. He suggested that reducing heavy alcohol consumption could not only reduce the risk of bleeding stroke but also slow the progression of cerebral small vessel disease, potentially decreasing the likelihood of future strokes, cognitive decline, and long-term disability.
Advocating for lifestyle changes like alcohol cessation as part of stroke prevention efforts, particularly for high-risk individuals, Dr. Gurol emphasized the importance of promoting healthier habits to safeguard against the detrimental effects of heavy drinking.