Too much alcohol can increase the risk of stroke at young age

A new study states that people who take three or more alcoholic drinks per day are at high risk of suffering from stroke earlier in life than those who do not drink heavily.

The study author Charlotte Cordonnier said, “Heavy drinking has been time and again identified as a risk factor for this type of stroke, which is caused by bleeding in the brain rather than a blood clot.”

 Mr. Cordonnier also said, “Our study focuses on the effects of heavy alcohol use on the timeline of stroke and the long-term outcome for those people.”

About 540 people with an average age of 71 suffering from a stroke called intracerebral hemorrhage were interviewed for their drinking habits for the study.

The doctors also interviewed the participants or the caregivers or relatives about the drinking habits of the participants. As many as 137 people or 25% were heavy drinkers, which was defined as having three or more drinks per day, or about 1.6 ounces per day of pure alcohol, the study stated.

The participants then underwent CT brain scans and their medical records were checked. It was found that heavy drinkers suffered from a stroke at the age of 60, 14 years prior to the average age of their non-heavy drinking counterparts.

The study also states that heavy drinkers were expected to die within 2 years of the study follow-up than non-heavy drinkers.