Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCan Heavy Drinking Cause a Heart Attack?Recovering From an Alcohol-Related Heart AttackCan Someone With Heart Disease Drink Alcohol?Risk Factors for Heart DiseaseCan Limiting Alcohol Help Lower the Risk for a Heart Attack?When to Contact a Healthcare ProviderSummary
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Can Heavy Drinking Cause a Heart Attack?
Recovering From an Alcohol-Related Heart Attack
Can Someone With Heart Disease Drink Alcohol?
Risk Factors for Heart Disease
Can Limiting Alcohol Help Lower the Risk for a Heart Attack?
When to Contact a Healthcare Provider
Summary
Drinking may immediately increase the risk for a heart attack, and over time, alcohol contributes to heart disease in women and men, increasing the risk of a heart attack. Heavy drinking is especially dangerous: One study found that binge drinkers are 72% more likely to have a heart attack than people who don’t binge drink.
Alcohol can raise blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and heavy drinkers might even develop alcoholic cardiomyopathy, a condition that causes the heart to enlarge. Fortunately, cutting back on alcohol consumption can significantly reduce your risk of heart attack even if you’ve been a heavy drinker in the past.
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Heavy drinking is associated with an increased risk of heart disease.There’s a lot of research that shows heavy drinking is bad for heart health, but the answer to whether drinking directly causes a heart attack is complicated.
One study looked at 4,000 people who had had heart attacks and asked them about their drinking habits, both over time and immediately before the heart attack. The study found that people who binge drank were 72% more likely to have a heart attack than those who didn’t. Interestingly, the study found that people who didn’t usually drink every day but who binged were more likely to experience a heart attack than those who drank every day.
In this case, researchers concluded that for some people, binge drinking increased the immediate risk of a heart attack.
A Word From VerywellWhen it comes to heart health and alcohol, in general, less is more. Alcohol can contribute to different types of heart disease. If you do choose to drink alcohol, keep to no more than moderate intake.—JEFFREY S. LANDER, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
A Word From Verywell
When it comes to heart health and alcohol, in general, less is more. Alcohol can contribute to different types of heart disease. If you do choose to drink alcohol, keep to no more than moderate intake.—JEFFREY S. LANDER, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
When it comes to heart health and alcohol, in general, less is more. Alcohol can contribute to different types of heart disease. If you do choose to drink alcohol, keep to no more than moderate intake.
—JEFFREY S. LANDER, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
How Alcohol Affects the Heart and Other Organs
In 2024, the American College of Cardiology reported that drinking drastically increases risk of heart disease. Studying more than 400,000 people, the researchers found:
Even moderate drinking is associated with:
The risks “increase exponentially” with heavy drinking, researchers found.
Short-Term Effects of Heavy Drinking
Drinking alcohol can have the following effects:
Red Wine and Heart HealthSome research has linked light to moderate red wine consumption to better cardiovascular health. Because the risks of drinking outweigh the benefits, it’s not advised to start drinking for potential health reasons.
Red Wine and Heart Health
Some research has linked light to moderate red wine consumption to better cardiovascular health. Because the risks of drinking outweigh the benefits, it’s not advised to start drinking for potential health reasons.
If you’ve experienced a heart attack, you should talk with your healthcare provider. Any amount of drinking can make heart disease worse.People who have had a heart attack are at increased risk for another one, so implementing healthy lifestyle changes, including reducing your alcohol intake, is important.
Quitting drinking can be really difficult, even if you only consider yourself a casual drinker. If you’re having a hard time stopping, learn more aboutalcohol use disorderand whether treatment is right for you. You can also talk with your healthcare provider about medications that can help you stop drinking.
Alcohol can make heart disease worse. However, you might not need to stop drinking entirely if you have heart disease. Talk with your healthcare provider about what amount and type of alcohol—if any—is safe for you.
Remember that alcohol could interact negatively with medications.Talk with your healthcare provider about all medicines you’re taking and whether they’re safe.
Heart disease can impact anyone: In fact, it’s the leading cause of U.S. deaths. Black American have an especially high risk of heart disease.
People are at a higher risk for heart disease if they:
These people didn’t stop drinking entirely but reduced the amount they drank. “Heavy drinking” in the study was defined as more than four drinks per day or 14 per week for males and three drinks per day or seven per week for females.
If you’re a heavy drinker, you should talk with your healthcare provider before stopping entirely, since stopping suddenly without medical supervision can be dangerous.
Any time you are worried about your heart health or your drinking habits, you should talk with your healthcare provider. Heavy drinking is linked to many ill effects, but there are treatments available that can help you reduce your intake or stop drinking. If you’re already experiencing heart disease or high blood pressure, work closely with your healthcare provider to decide what amount of alcohol, if any, is healthy for you.
Alcohol can increase your risk for heart attack, both immediately and over time. One study found that some people who binged alcohol increased their risk for a heart attack within an hour. In addition, research is very clear that over time alcohol can increase blood pressure and raise “bad” cholesterol, both of which can increase your risk for a heart attack.
If you’re drinking too much and worried about the impact on your health, talk with your healthcare provider about treatments that could help you reduce your alcohol intake. Even cutting down on alcohol can drastically lower your risk of a heart attack.
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.Binge drinking linked with higher heart attack risk.Kang DO, Lee D, Roh S, et al.Reduced alcohol consumption and major adverse cardiovascular events among individuals with previously high alcohol consumption. JAMA Netw Open. 2024. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.4013John Hopkins Medicine.Alcohol and heart health: Separating fact from fiction.American College of Cardiology.Alcohol raised heart disease risk, particularly among women.Biddinger KJ, Emdin CA, Haas ME, et al.Association of habitual alcohol intake with risk of cardiovascular disease. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(3):e223849. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.3849Florida Heart Research.How alcohol affects your heart.MedlinePlus.Wine and heart health.Healthyheart.org.Risk factors for a second heart attack.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Mixing alcohol with medicines.CDC.Heart disease facts.American Addiction Centers.Risks and dangers of quitting alcohol cold turkey.
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.Binge drinking linked with higher heart attack risk.Kang DO, Lee D, Roh S, et al.Reduced alcohol consumption and major adverse cardiovascular events among individuals with previously high alcohol consumption. JAMA Netw Open. 2024. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.4013John Hopkins Medicine.Alcohol and heart health: Separating fact from fiction.American College of Cardiology.Alcohol raised heart disease risk, particularly among women.Biddinger KJ, Emdin CA, Haas ME, et al.Association of habitual alcohol intake with risk of cardiovascular disease. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(3):e223849. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.3849Florida Heart Research.How alcohol affects your heart.MedlinePlus.Wine and heart health.Healthyheart.org.Risk factors for a second heart attack.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Mixing alcohol with medicines.CDC.Heart disease facts.American Addiction Centers.Risks and dangers of quitting alcohol cold turkey.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.Binge drinking linked with higher heart attack risk.Kang DO, Lee D, Roh S, et al.Reduced alcohol consumption and major adverse cardiovascular events among individuals with previously high alcohol consumption. JAMA Netw Open. 2024. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.4013John Hopkins Medicine.Alcohol and heart health: Separating fact from fiction.American College of Cardiology.Alcohol raised heart disease risk, particularly among women.Biddinger KJ, Emdin CA, Haas ME, et al.Association of habitual alcohol intake with risk of cardiovascular disease. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(3):e223849. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.3849Florida Heart Research.How alcohol affects your heart.MedlinePlus.Wine and heart health.Healthyheart.org.Risk factors for a second heart attack.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Mixing alcohol with medicines.CDC.Heart disease facts.American Addiction Centers.Risks and dangers of quitting alcohol cold turkey.
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.Binge drinking linked with higher heart attack risk.
Kang DO, Lee D, Roh S, et al.Reduced alcohol consumption and major adverse cardiovascular events among individuals with previously high alcohol consumption. JAMA Netw Open. 2024. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.4013
John Hopkins Medicine.Alcohol and heart health: Separating fact from fiction.
American College of Cardiology.Alcohol raised heart disease risk, particularly among women.
Biddinger KJ, Emdin CA, Haas ME, et al.Association of habitual alcohol intake with risk of cardiovascular disease. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(3):e223849. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.3849
Florida Heart Research.How alcohol affects your heart.
MedlinePlus.Wine and heart health.
Healthyheart.org.Risk factors for a second heart attack.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Mixing alcohol with medicines.
CDC.Heart disease facts.
American Addiction Centers.Risks and dangers of quitting alcohol cold turkey.
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