A new study from the American College of Cardiology suggests that women who consume more than eight alcoholic drinks per week have a nearly 50% higher risk of developing heart disease, and that binge drinkers of both sexes face considerably greater risk. Heavy-drinking young and middle-aged women appear particularly vulnerable, regardless of age.
These findings come amid rising heart disease rates among younger generations in the US and UK, as well as increased alcohol consumption and binge drinking among women in recent decades, according to a Daily Express health article.
The study analyzed data from over 430,000 individuals—243,000 men and 189,000 women with an average age of 44—from Kaiser Permanente Northern California, none of whom had heart disease at the outset. Alcohol consumption data were gathered via the 'Alcohol as a Vital Sign' screening during primary care appointments in 2014-2015, according to the researchers.
"When it comes to binge drinking, both men and women with excess alcohol consumption had a higher risk of heart disease," said Dr. Jamal Rana, lead author. "For women, we find consistently higher risk even without binge drinking. I wasn't expecting these results among women in this lower age group because we usually see increased risk for heart disease among older women. It was definitely surprising."
The exact definition of binge drinking used in the study was not specified, and it remains unclear whether the findings were adjusted for other risk factors such as diet or smoking. The study also did not differentiate between types of alcoholic beverages.