What alcohol is good for the heart and blood vessels. What kind of heart disease does alcohol cause? Risk factors for a heart attack

The harm of alcohol on the heart has long been recognized by doctors around the world. Medical statistics claim that it is the love of alcohol that causes 35% of sudden deaths.

The effect of alcohol

After taking alcohol, alcohol continues to remain in the blood for about 5-12 hours and circulates throughout the body, poisoning everything. critical systems and organs. How exactly does it affect the heart?

Ethyl alcohol is a poison that destroys myocardial cells and increases blood pressure. Under its influence, the pulse quickens to 100 or even more beats per minute. Alcoholic toxins cause vasospasm, which worsens the nutrition of the heart muscle and its supply of oxygen.

At long-term use Alcohol in the myocardium accumulates a significant amount of fat, as a result of which the heart muscle gradually degenerates and is unable to perform its function. The result is the development of severe diseases.

What heart disease does alcohol cause?

As a rule, the harm of alcohol on the heart begins to appear after a few months of close "friendship" with alcohol. The person begins to experience difficulty breathing, often complains of palpitations and chest pains. These are the first signs of heart disease.

Atherosclerosis

coronary insufficiency

Alcohol provokes a sharp rise in the level of adrenaline and norepinephrine in the blood. It is known that these hormones are produced under strong nervous tension, stress or mental disorders. With an increase in their content in the blood, the heart muscle needs more oxygen, nutrients. If the heart is healthy, it can handle this kind of stress. However, in alcoholics, drinking even a small portion of alcohol can lead to coronary insufficiency, in which the vessels are unable to supply the myocardium with oxygen and essential substances.

ischemic heart disease

The diseases described above often lead to the development of a very serious illness - coronary disease heart (briefly - IHD), in which the coronary arteries are affected and the blood supply to the myocardium is disturbed.
IHD occurs in various forms, which are characterized by different clinical manifestations. The main ones are:

• violation heart rate;
• heart failure;
• angina;
• cardiosclerosis;
• sudden coronary death.

In a heart attack, a portion of the myocardium that is not adequately supplied with blood undergoes necrosis.

cardiomyopathy

Exposure to alcoholic poisons provokes an increase in the size and weight of the heart (cardiomegaly). A person constantly feels tired, he has an arrhythmia. Swelling of the legs, shortness of breath and cough develop.
Although the answer to the question of whether alcohol affects the heart has long been known, many alcoholics hope that their similar fate will somehow be avoided. However, experts warn: exposure to ethyl alcohol in the vast majority of cases leads to dangerous irreversible changes in this vital important body, and every drop of alcohol may be the last.

The effect of alcohol on the heart is extremely negative and even dangerous, since the heart is the main circulatory organ in human body, therefore, if ethanol enters the bloodstream, it is the heart that takes the hit first. According to statistics, more than 1/3 of deaths due to heart disease are caused by the use of alcoholic beverages. Within five to seven hours, when taken ethanol circulates inside the body, the work of the heart occurs with disturbances.

Effects of drinking alcohol on the heart

There is an increase in the pulse to 100, a violation of metabolism, including nutrition of the heart muscle. During the distillation of blood containing alcohol, the work of the heart becomes intensified, the load exerted on this organ increases many times, therefore, when drunkenness heart rate increases, blood circulation is disturbed, blood pressure increases, this leads to destruction small vessels and most clear manifestation this is the red color of the nose in people who often drink, as well as the redness of the whites of the eyes, usually in the morning after drinking alcohol. Representing a cellular poison with a direct effect, ethanol affects the heart cells and increases pressure (in the case of even a single dose - for several days), poisons the nervous system.

Excess fat accumulates in the heart muscle, which leads to the degeneration of the muscle, which becomes more flabby, as a result of which the heart performs its work worse. The result is atherosclerosis, as well as hypertension.

When drinking alcohol, in each case, the likelihood of cardiomyopathy, as well as cardiac arrhythmia, is greatly increased. Reliable evidence of a direct link between alcohol and coronary death and heart attack has been obtained. A study was conducted in emergency rooms on atrial fibrillation, which is a type of cardiac arrhythmia. The results of this study definitely indicate that ethyl alcohol caused 2/3 of all cases of this arrhythmia.

The above studies show a direct relationship between the amount of alcohol consumed and the likelihood of developing heart ailments and attacks. There is absolutely no limit to the rational use of alcoholic beverages, up to which the probability of heart disease would be completely absent. Any dose of alcohol negatively affects the heart.

In medical sources, the concept of "alcoholic heart" is used. This syndrome, also known as cardiomyopathy, sometimes appears with little history of alcohol abuse.

Causes of the negative effects of alcohol on the heart

Several reasons are known alcoholic heart» (alcoholic cardiomyopathy).

The first is the toxic effect of alcohol, as well as its metabolic products on the heart muscle.

The second reason is a violation of the heart due to a deficiency in the production of proteins. Their synthesis is impaired due to the effects of alcohol on the liver. In a person who consumes alcohol, the absorption of vitamins belonging to group B, which play an extremely important role for proper heart function.

The pain in the heart is inextricably linked with the intake of alcohol recently. It often appears the very next day after taking alcohol. In the morning, after drinking, in some cases there are interruptions in the heart, shortness of breath, there is a fear of death, dizziness, increased sweating. Some people who drink alcohol suffer from leg swelling. All of these signs point to heart failure.

When examining the heart of a drinking person, in almost 100% of cases, an increase in wall thickness is detected, as well as an increase in the width of the heart cavities, arrhythmias are recorded - heart rhythm disorders.

Treatment of heart pathologies caused by alcohol is a difficult task. The heart muscle has its own biochemical memory - with specific alcoholic influences arrhythmias occur again and again. pledge effective treatment of cardiac abnormalities caused by alcohol is the absolute rejection of alcohol.

How alcohol affects the heart

Alcoholic drinks affect this organ 3rd different ways. These include exposure to ethanol itself, as well as its decay products, which are toxins, the impact of vitamin B1 deficiency and the impact of additives contained in alcoholic beverages (previously, for example, cobalt chloride was added to beer as a foam stabilizer, it caused severe harm to the heart, leading to cobalt cardiomyopathy).

Ethanol, in addition to affecting the myocardium itself, leads to a change vascular tone with the distribution of ions in cardiac tissues. The latter is a very essential moment for the proper functioning of the heart. In the case when the ionic balance is disturbed, this causes the risk of arrhythmia. Due to the constant intake of alcohol in the heart muscle, the development of dystrophy of cardiac muscle cells occurs, while around blood vessels grows connective tissue. Its layer around the vessel, playing the role of additional "waterproofing", excludes the ingress of oxygen and nutrients from the vessel, which are dissolved in the blood. In such a situation, the heart muscle cells work at the end of their capabilities. With oxygen deficiency in biological tissues, ischemia occurs. Some myocardial cells die, and connective tissue grows in their place. As a result, it turns out that the number of heart cells decreases, as well as their ability to rhythmically contract.

In the case of drinking alcohol in the presence of such cardiac disorders, there is an increase in all pathological processes, in particular, arrhythmic contraction, ischemia. In this case, the risk of transition of ischemia to a heart attack and the transition of arrhythmic individual contractions to lethal forms of arrhythmia increase.

Of course, not every person who drinks alcohol dies due to cardiac arrest. However, lesions of this organ occur in 54% of people who regularly drink alcohol. Of course, this is far from 100%, but still the majority. The probability of a lethal arrhythmia when drinking alcoholic beverages is doubled, and if there is any heart disease- three times.

Alcohol causes heart disease early age- usually already from the age of 35, people who constantly abuse alcohol experience manifestations hypertension, interruptions in cardiac work, discomfort in the region of the heart, because due to the effect of ethanol, this organ is significantly weakened, covered with fat, therefore it becomes increasingly difficult to distill blood continuously, this leads to heart attacks and strokes, often causing early death. Cardiologists in the United States use the term "spree" heart to indicate that irregularities often occur after the holidays. The question of safer and more dangerous doses of alcoholic beverages remains unresolved.

Those people who do not drink alcohol at all are advised not to start doing this. Based on the observations of American experts, it is noted quite high level mortality among those who drank alcohol in moderation.

The fact was established that teetotalers suffer much less often than those people who drink alcohol moderately.

Many experts are critical of the opinion about the benefits of red wine for the cardiovascular system. There are no direct comparisons between studies. Thus, it is impossible to argue that alcohol has some useful, protective properties for the body. The effect of alcohol on the heart cannot be positive. Red wine contains a certain amount of antioxidants - this is one of the reasons why the drink is classified as healthy. The consumption of foods that contain antioxidants does not lead to a decrease in mortality. The most common is vitamin E. The likelihood of a heart attack with its use also remains. If the body is in dire need of antioxidants, they can easily be obtained from berries, fruits, and some vegetables. Red wine is all the same alcoholic drink. About the dangers of alcohol for the heart we will talk Further. It is important to know what can result in excessive drinking.

The effect of alcohol on the heart: experiments and their results

Research on this topic is often carried out in the United States. It is important to understand how alcohol affects the heart, can the effect really be positive? The purpose of one of the ongoing work was to identify the benefits of alcohol for the human heart. Experts conducted about 54 studies, the results of which showed that only 7 of them were carried out without errors. The result of the analysis, which was carried out unmistakably, is this: the death rate of teetotalers is about the same as the death rate of moderate drinking people, however, in the latter during life, the activity of the heart is significantly impaired.

The effect of alcohol on the heart provokes a certain number of diseases that develop as a result of its use. First of all, it must be emphasized that the effect of alcohol on the heart is truly poisonous. He is capable of the shortest time destroy muscle cells. If there is no complete destruction, it is important to remember that they are partially damaged anyway. Alcoholic products can significantly increase blood pressure. The heart of an alcoholic is difficult to treat in the future.

After a person has taken a certain dose of alcohol, his heart cannot fully work for 7 hours. The heart of an alcoholic is weak, a person may have a rapid pulse, it can be 95-100 beats per minute. metabolism and nervous system are also violated, the heart and blood vessels are under stress, the nutrition of the muscle is weak. It is also important to know that alcohol disrupts blood circulation in the capillaries, the vessels shrink, thicken, burst. The person may experience oxygen starvation. The effect of alcohol on the heart is destructive.

After drinking alcohol in the heart muscle accumulates a large number of fat, moreover, it loses its former appearance and becomes flabby. The negative effect of alcohol on the heart is undeniable: such drinks significantly disrupt its work. As a result prolonged use alcohol is likely to develop atherosclerosis and hypertension. If a person permanently stops drinking these drinks, he has every chance of being cured and gaining health. In order to encourage non-drinking among the population, it is important to conduct various alcohol campaigns that are aimed at limiting the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Heart and alcohol: what happens as a result of the interaction?

In very frequent cases, alcohol leads to arrhythmia and cardiomyopathy. Drinks cause myocardial infarction much faster, sudden death. Cardiac arrhythmia occurs as a result of alcohol poisoning or due to overuse. Numerous worldwide studies are evidence that the more often a person consumes alcohol, the higher the likelihood of death from heart attack. It is important to remember that alcoholic beverages in any dose affect the heart. The dose of a reasonable and excessive level of use is not indicated anywhere.

Surely you have often heard the term "alcoholic heart". It can be found in reference books. medical literature. The second name for an alcoholic heart is cardiomyopathy. The disease can occur even if a person has recently started drinking alcohol. This problem may arise for several reasons. The first of these is the negative effect of alcoholic decay products on the body, this leads to the formation of a disorder in the heart muscle. There are not enough proteins. In addition to the heart, alcohol has an effect on the liver. Addiction leads to a violation of protein synthesis. This is what happens as a result of liver damage. A sufficient amount of B vitamins is not supplied, and in fact they are needed for normal functioning hearts.

Typical symptoms of heart failure

In those people who regularly drink alcohol, there is a violation of cardiac activity, in particular, the next day after drinking alcohol. If a person drank a drink in the evening, the next morning he may experience interruptions in the work of the heart. Characteristic symptoms: dizziness, shortness of breath, frequent shortness of breath. As a rule, in people who drink alcohol, there is a thickening of the walls and expansion of the cavities of the heart, as a result, heart rhythm disturbances appear. It is important to note that shortness of breath happens quite often. Treatment is a major challenge because the heart muscles have a special biochemical memory that can cause recurring symptoms.

In order to cure the above problems, a complete rejection of alcohol is necessary. Alcoholic products cause significant harm to the heart, primarily the content of ethyl alcohol. Toxic Substances also have a negative, destructive effect on the organs as a whole. Impurities, various additives, which cause severe damage to the cardiovascular system, have a negative effect.

The harm of alcohol for the heart also lies in the following: alcohol leads to the fact that the vascular tone changes, the ionic balance is disturbed, and as a result, an arrhythmia occurs. Myocardial cell dystrophy is one of the most common problems associated with alcohol consumption. Connective tissue begins to grow around the vessels. The vessel is covered with the so-called additional insulation, which prevents the ingress of oxygen and nutrients. Myocardial cells are not able to receive oxygen in sufficient quantities, as a result of which they begin to die.

If a person drinks alcohol, while he already has heart problems, it is important to remember that in this case, ischemia intensifies, there is a considerable probability of its transition to a heart attack. The defeat of the cardiovascular system occurs in every second who takes alcohol.

Thanks for the feedback

Comments

Megan92 () 2 weeks ago

Has anyone managed to save her husband from alcoholism? Mine drinks without drying up, I don’t know what to do ((I thought of getting a divorce, but I don’t want to leave the child without a father, and I feel sorry for my husband, he’s a great person when he doesn’t drink

Daria () 2 weeks ago

I have already tried so many things and only after reading this article, I managed to wean my husband from alcohol, now he doesn’t drink at all, even on holidays.

Megan92 () 13 days ago

Daria () 12 days ago

Megan92, so I wrote in my first comment) I will duplicate it just in case - link to article.

Sonya 10 days ago

Isn't this a divorce? Why sell online?

Yulek26 (Tver) 10 days ago

Sonya, what country do you live in? They sell on the Internet, because shops and pharmacies set their markup brutal. In addition, payment is only after receipt, that is, they first looked, checked and only then paid. And now everything is sold on the Internet - from clothes to TVs and furniture.

Editorial response 10 days ago

Sonya, hello. This drug for treatment alcohol addiction really not implemented through pharmacy chain and retail stores to avoid overpricing. Currently, you can only order official website. Be healthy!

Sonya 10 days ago

Sorry, I didn't notice at first the information about the cash on delivery. Then everything is in order for sure, if the payment is upon receipt.

Margo (Ulyanovsk) 8 days ago

Has anyone tried folk methods to get rid of alcoholism? My father drinks, I can not influence him in any way ((

Andrey () A week ago

What only folk remedies I haven’t tried it, my father-in-law both drank and drinks

Ekaterina a week ago

I tried to give my husband a decoction of bay leaf(she said that it was good for the heart), so after an hour he left with the peasants to drink. I no longer believe in these folk methods ...

In short: Alcohol can cause cardiac arrhythmias, cardiomyopathy, fatty heart disease, and hypertension. Contrary to popular myths, alcohol cannot prevent atherosclerosis.

How does alcohol affect the heart?

In a word: bad.

On our website, using the links below, you can find a series of articles that are mainly devoted to describing various troubles for the heart and blood vessels that alcohol can cause, as well as sorting out myths about useful influence alcohol on the heart. At the same time, as usual, we did not try to scare anyone, but sought and found objective and fresh information, confirmed by scientific research.

What heart disease does alcohol cause?

1. There is such a disease as cardiomyopathy - a disease of the heart muscle leading to heart failure. It is not treated, the disease can only be slowed down, but not cured. From the abuse of alcohol happens a kind of this disease, which is called "alcoholic cardiomyopathy". The mechanism of development of cardiomyopathy, unfortunately, is not yet well understood.
2. Also, the ability of alcohol, being in the aquatic environment, to dissolve fats, causes an increased deposition of fat at the organ level in the periods between intensive intakes of alcoholic beverages, which leads to the formation of such pathological conditions, How fatty degeneration liver and fatty degeneration of the heart (myocardium).
3. Alcohol can cause arrhythmias: irregularities in the rhythm of the heart. A person feels this as a frightening “fading” or “squishing” of the heart. This condition can occur unpredictably and be dangerous. Arrhythmias caused by alcohol, we devoted a separate article. Also read a separate article on what to do if your heart beats strongly after alcohol.
4. Cardioschool for doctors also points to hypertension ( arterial hypertension). Studies led by Pearce and Furdberg (Pearce K.A., Furberg C.D., 1994) have shown that alcohol consumption itself is a risk factor for developing hypertension. Starting with a dose of 60 ml of pure alcohol per day, blood pressure rises in direct proportion to the amount of alcohol. And, again, the more alcohol is consumed, the worse the consequences.
5. And no, moderate drinking will not help prevent atherosclerosis.
6. And no, the Mediterranean diet is not good at all with small doses of dry red wine. A diet on beer or vodka is just an unhealthy fantasy of those who like to lose weight outside the box.

How to protect your heart from the effects of alcohol

The best option would be to know your alcohol consumption rate and drink moderately, focusing on the figures for the maximum doses that we provide on this site, as well as pause between drinking alcohol for at least 8 days to allow the organs to recover.

Also to protect against negative impact alcohol exactly the heart we can recommend drugs panangin or asparkam. Choose tablets containing 150-175 mg of potassium and magnesium aspartate. It will be enough for two three-week courses a year (preferably March and November) - 2 tablets 3 times a day after meals.

But what about the numbers?

A well-known meta-analysis of 2011 (scientists Ronksley, Brien, Turner and others, University of Calgary, Canada) shows that people who drink an average of 1-2 doses (30-60 ml) per day are less likely to die from coronary insufficiency than non-drinkers.

However, the same analysis indicates that people who do not drink at all or drink less than 30 ml per day have a lower risk of dying from a stroke. Secondary Analysis shows that if we take mortality from all cardiovascular diseases in general, then absolutely non-drinking people will have a higher risk of death.

Do small doses of alcohol affect the heart positively? This may be due to the hormesis effect. But! There is also another explanation: light drinkers are those who have not drunk themselves and have by nature better health so don't be afraid to drink. Non-drinkers are mostly those who have quit or are saving their health due to already existing diseases. As it usually happens, the correlation does not yet mean a causal relationship, or there is a connection, but the opposite of what we want to see: if people who drink moderately are less likely to die from cardiovascular diseases, then it is not a fact that it is alcohol that reduces mortality.

How much alcohol will damage the heart?

Recommendations on the safe dosage of alcohol in relation to the heart are complicated by the fact that in the available literature it was not possible to find indications of the results of direct experiments to determine the toxicity threshold (the toxicity threshold is the dose beyond which organ damage begins; for each organ it is slightly different) of ethanol as for myocardium and the heart as a whole. However, Pokhmelye.RF site expert Stanislav Radchenko was able to determine the numbers based on indirect data. Let's give him a word:

We will proceed from the knowledge that the ethanol toxicity threshold for the brain (mainly nervous tissue) is lower than the toxicity threshold for the liver (mainly epithelial tissue) by 4.7 times. The difference between the values ​​of direct excitability of neurons and epithelial cells has the same order.

Considering that the destabilizing effect exerted by ethanol on cell membranes manifests itself primarily in the suppression of conduction through them electrical excitation, we have the right to assume that the sensitivity of a particular tissue to alcohol, other things being equal, depends on the direct excitability of this tissue. It is possible that under the conditions of a whole organism, the ratio of these quantities cannot be considered directly proportional, but, in any case, it represents a positive correlation with a coefficient close to unity.

Since the heart, as an organ, consists mainly of muscle tissue, and muscle occupies an intermediate position between the nervous and epithelial in terms of direct excitability, it will not be a mistake to assert that the toxicity threshold for the heart is lower than that for the liver, and higher than for the brain. More specifically, the resting potential of muscle fibers is 1.3-1.5 times higher (about 90 mV) than the resting potential of nerve fibers (60-70 mV).

Therefore, for an action potential to occur in muscle fiber it is necessary to depolarize the cell membrane by one and a half times greater than in the nerve fiber. Thus, as a first approximation, we assume that the threshold of ethanol toxicity for the myocardium is 19 × 1.5 = 28.5 g per day, which corresponds to approximately 90 ml of vodka or 220 ml of ordinary dry red wine.

However, some nonlinearity of our model is due to the fact that the muscle tissue of the heart is significantly heterogeneous. If the excitability of cardiomyocytes (contractile cells of the heart) is 85 mV, then for the nodal cells of the conduction system it does not exceed 60 mV. From this it follows that the sensitivity to destabilization of the membrane of those parts of the myocardium that are responsible for the generation of rhythm and conduction is closer to nervous tissue than to muscle. In practice, this means that the possibility of developing cardiac arrhythmias begins with approximately the same daily doses of ethanol that pose a danger to the brain.

It turns out that the toxic threshold of alcohol for the heart is two values: for the development of arrhythmia and the development of cardiomyopathy, different doses. Modern practice in such cases focuses on the weakest link, therefore, the maximum recommended by the results of statistical studies dose of red dry wine in 150 ml(instead of 220) looks reasonable.

Arrhythmia after alcohol - very frequent occurrence. Why it occurs, what to do in such situations, and also why some people have arrhythmia from alcohol, on the contrary, goes away - about all this.

The article was last updated: 2018-12-16

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How alcoholic beverages entered the life of society is, perhaps, a topic for a separate study. modern man alcohol accompanies you everywhere: a glass of beer with friends, a glass of champagne at a celebration, a glass of vodka with barbecue. All these are indispensable attributes of a fun pastime. How not to miss the moment when the effect of alcohol on the heart becomes unsafe?

Why do we drink alcohol

Small doses of alcohol give the effect of relaxation, the mood rises, all bad things fade into the background. This is why alcohol is dangerous: temporary euphoria requires continuation, all problems are forgotten, at least for a while. The trouble comes when more and more intoxicants are required to achieve satisfaction. Alcoholism becomes a disease, and it becomes more and more difficult for a drinking person to stop drinking.

The reasons that make the hand reach for the bottle are different:

• Psychological void: death loved one, betrayal of a friend or loved one, forced loneliness.
• Excessive stress at work.
• Breaking stereotypes, the collapse of hopes, depression.
• Family problems.
• The need for self-assertion.
• It is common for teenagers and young people to strive to be like everyone else and not stand out in the company.
• genetic predisposition.

Even if the addiction to alcohol is temporary, this stage does not pass harmlessly to health. Result: diseased heart, hypertension, vascular problems.

Is a small dose harmful?

The main component of any alcoholic beverage is ethyl alcohol. It begins to enter the blood within 5-7 minutes after ingestion. The effect of alcohol on the heart depends on the frequency and amount of alcohol consumed. But even a small single dose increases the load on our main organ: vasospasm occurs, and the heart needs to work doubly to deliver blood. Immediately, the pulse quickens by 10-15%. Smoking that accompanies drinking exacerbates the load doubly.

After two to three hours, ethyl alcohol penetrates to the myocardium. Its toxic effect causes arrhythmia, there is a temporary decrease in pressure. Bad influence alcohol passes quickly, heart function and circulatory system are restored, but the whole trouble is that the first dose is followed by the second and third.

The work of the heart with large amounts of alcohol

Large doses of alcohol (or small ones over several hours) cause a hangover. What is it connected with? The effect of alcohol on the heart and blood vessels is manifested in a steady increase blood pressure and irregular heart rhythm due to addition, ethyl alcohol causes dehydration and thickening of the blood. That is why with a hangover I really want to drink. By the way, folk method brine hangover relief has scientific backing. It is the sour-salty liquid that restores balance faster. Constant alcohol loads lead to the formation of blood clots and blockages of blood vessels.

Alcohol for cores

If quite healthy people begin to feel unwell after excessive libations, then the diseased heart reacts to alcohol much more seriously. The threat to the core is already 20-60 ml of pure alcohol.

Large and frequent drinking provokes an increase in blood pressure even more, the risk of heart attacks and strokes increases, the development of concomitant diseases. Over 30 percent sudden stops hearts are associated with pathology caused by alcohol use.

Heart of an alcoholic

Prolonged and abundant use of alcoholic beverages leads to a gradual deformation of the human engine. The growth of connective tissues and cavities contribute to the fact that the size of the heart increases, respectively, the strength and speed of its contractions decrease. This is how heart failure, edema of all organs, hypertension and atherosclerosis of blood vessels develop.

Diseases of the "alcoholic heart"

The effect of alcohol on the heart is manifested by a number of diseases:

• Ischemic disease is very serious disease coronary arteries, which cease to adequately supply blood to the myocardium. Stages of ischemia: arrhythmia - heart failure - angina pectoris - cardiosclerosis, heart attack - sudden death.
• Atherosclerosis is a disease of blood vessels due to atherosclerotic plaques formed on the walls. The narrowed lumen of blood vessels leads to an increase in pressure, causing strokes and heart attacks.
• Cardiomyopathy. The increased weight of the heart causes persistent arrhythmia, shortness of breath, swelling and coughing.

Alcohol and heart medications

Drinking people often, without thinking about the consequences, combine the intake of alcohol and drugs, including heart drugs. This cannot be done absolutely.

• Alcohol inhibits the action of the drug. This is at best.
• By dilating blood vessels, alcohol, together with a drug of the same effect, can lead to acute heart failure. Result: fainting, loss of strength, death.
• Sedatives designed to soothe can have the opposite effect: increase excitability or double, triple the effect and “calm” forever.
• The combination of alcohol and cardiovascular or sedatives leads to change mental state person.

Recovery from alcohol

It often happens that alcoholics respond to exhortations from relatives that they can stop at any moment and stop drinking someday. Refusal of alcohol suspends all negative processes in the body, initial stages heart failure recover in a healthy way life, proper nutrition, sports and fresh air.

Morphological changes and increased heart size return to normal state never again! Dystrophy and thickening of the tissue occur after two or three years of drinking. Affected organs are not restored. After complete failure from alcohol, you can slightly restore metabolism and work vegetative system. To the drinking man stop drinking as soon as possible. Return to normal life and restorative therapy can give joyful moments for many more years.

beer and heart

The effect of alcohol on the heart is known to many, but since few dare to give up drinking and look like a black sheep in the company, strong alcohol is replaced by beer. There is confidence that this is a weak, and therefore completely harmless drink. The "unobtrusive" suggestion of advertising about the benefits of derivative products distracts attention from the fact that the strength of some modern beers reaches 14%. This is more than in dry wines. A bottle of light beer, which some drink just to quench their thirst, is equal in alcohol content to 60 grams of vodka. In addition, cobalt is added to the drink to hold the beer foam. For lovers of this intoxicating product, the content of cobalt in the tissues of the heart muscle exceeds allowable norms ten times. Where does this lead? All to the same deformation and growth of muscle tissue.

Negatively affects blood vessels and carbon dioxide with which the drink is filled. Excessive overcrowding of the blood vessels leads to the expansion of the veins and heart. Doctors have such a thing as "beer heart", or "kapron stocking" syndrome. This phenomenon occurs as a result of an excessively expanding size of the myocardium and a slowdown in its work on pumping blood.

Is alcohol helpful?

People who drink often write off their passion alcoholic drinks to supposedly confirmed official medicine information about their health benefits. “We do not drink, but we are treated” - such a slogan often justifies the abuse of alcohol. What is really behind this? What do cardiologists say about this?

Interesting data is provided by the statistics of the relationship of heart disease with the use of alcoholic beverages. The performance curve has a U-shape. That is, there is the smallest percentage of cores among those who take alcohol, but in very small doses. The following standards are considered normal: for an adult male, a harmless daily dose consists of 60-70 grams of vodka, or 200-250 ml of dry wine, or 300-350 ml of beer. Women's norms three times less than men.

In such quantities?

• The concentration of "bad" cholesterol on the walls of blood vessels decreases, respectively, the risk of atherosclerosis decreases.
• Small doses of alcohol contribute to the production of "good" cholesterol, which displaces "bad" cholesterol from the body.
• Dry wines have bactericidal properties.
• Red wines increase the level of hemoglobin in the blood.

Why don't doctors suggest alcohol treatment? The fact is that the line between the norm and the supernorm is very fragile. Most people, after taking alcohol, simply cease to feel this line, and constant “treatment” turns into But here the effect on the heart and other organs is sharply opposite. Reception of small portions of alcohol, mainly a glass of dry red wine, is offered to older people, if there are no contraindications from hypertension or diabetes.

Think before you fill your glasses, and be healthy!