High Consumption of Alcohol Increases Stroke Risk

New research shows that middle-aged people who drink more than two alcoholic beverages a day have a higher risk of stroke than those who drink 1/2-1 drink per day. This comes from a study recently published in Stroke.

The study looked at health related data of Swedish people born between the years of 1886 and 1925. This information separated the participants into four groups: non-drinkers, light drinkers, moderate drinkers, and heavy drinkers.

They found that about 30% of the participants experienced a stroke. The group of heavy drinkers had the highest risk of stroke, at 34%. However, the light or non-drinkers had a very little chance of stroke.

This is not the first study to show these same results. Other research has shown a link between alcohol consumption and stroke, but none have looked at how age affects it as well like this one did. The results from this study predict that those are between the ages of 60 and 75 and  drink two drinks a day on a regular base are 2 times more likely to have a stroke than those who don’t. If a stroke happens over the age of 75, however, it is most likely due to other factors like diabetes or hypertension.