Alcohol found to be more risky to the heart

Levels of alcohol consumption currently considered safe by some countries are linked with development of heart failure. As per a research presented at Heart Failure 2022.

This was a secondary analysis of the STOP-HF trial that is the St Vincent's Screening TO Prevent Heart Failure. The STOP-HF provides an excellent model to the global community on how to integrate primary care simple screening with secondary and tertiary level targeted diagnostic and therapeutic system. 

The study included 744 adults over 40 years of age either at risk of developing heart failure due to risk factors or with pre-heart failure. Participants were categorised according to their weekly alcohol intake into none; low, moderate and high.

A total of 27% patients reported no alcohol usage, while 48% were low users and 25% had moderate or high intake. In the pre-heart failure group, compared with no alcohol use, moderate or high intake was associated with a 4.5-fold increased risk of worsening heart health.

The study suggests that drinking more than 70 g of alcohol per week is associated with worsening pre- heart failure or progression to symptomatic heart failure. Hence, their results indicate that countries should advocate lower limits of safe alcohol intake in pre-heart failure patients.