RESEARCH SHOWS EXCESSIVE DRINKING CAUSES MORE SEVERE AND EARLIER BRAIN HEMORRHAGES
A recent study reveals that people who consume large amounts of alcohol suffer strokes an average of 11 years earlier than moderate or non-drinkers. The research highlights the increased severity and deeper location of brain hemorrhages among heavy drinkers, raising significant public health concerns.
The study analyzed approximately 1,600 hospitalized patients with brain hemorrhages across the United States, finding that those who consumed three or more alcoholic beverages daily experienced strokes at an average age of 64—11 years earlier than patients who drank moderately or not at all, who had strokes around age 75.
Researchers noted heavy drinkers suffered hemorrhages that were up to 70% larger and more likely to occur in deeper brain regions, which correlates with worse outcomes and higher risks of severe disability.
Additionally, the study linked excessive alcohol intake to advanced damage in the brain’s small vessels, known as small vessel disease, significantly increasing the likelihood of cognitive decline and stroke.
Medical experts attribute these effects to alcohol-induced hypertension, vascular damage, and impaired platelet function, all of which enhance the risk of serious bleeding in the brain.
The research published in the journal Neurology underscores the long-term cognitive harm caused by heavy drinking, including brain shrinkage and impaired memory and learning functions.
While moderate alcohol consumption was not shown to provide protective benefits against stroke in this study, the findings firmly associate heavy alcohol use with premature and more severe cerebrovascular events.
Public health officials emphasize the need for increased awareness about alcohol’s impact on brain health and advocate for prevention strategies targeting heavy drinkers.
