There’s no debate: Keeping your heart healthy should be a top priority as you age. Your heart does so much for your body—it pumps your blood and helps deliver oxygen to your cells, so you can move and breathe easier each and every day.
Since the stakes are high, you want to do everything you can to minimize your risk of cardiac disease, like preventing or controlling hypertension (high blood pressure), hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol), and diabetes and avoiding smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, stress, and inactivity at all costs, says Fahmi Farah, MD, the owner of Bentley Heart Center in Fort Worth, Texas, a heart surgeon at Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center, and the co-founder of the Global Health Alliance Foundation.
Out of that list, alcohol is a factor that raises a few questions—especially since many of us have likely heard that some alcoholic beverages, when consumed in moderation, might actually bolster heart health. This leads to yet another question: Are certain alcohol types more or less harmful to your ticker? Cardiologists explains how the type of drinks you consume impacts your heart health and why.
mixing cocktails at home Credit: Boogich / Getty Images
Red Wine Is Considered “Healthier” for the Heart
Red wine is an alcoholic beverage with a relatively good report for the heart, says Jayne Morgan, MD, a cardiologist. She credits this drink as a “healthier” choice of alcohol when consumed in moderation, namely because it contains antioxidants, called polyphenols, and flavonoids, which are compounds found in fruits and vegetables that are known to boost the gut microbiome. According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, flavonoids can also improve lipid profiles, reduce insulin resistance, and decrease oxidative stress.
No Type of Alcohol Can Improve Heart Health
Keep in mind that red wine, and other types of alcohol, won’t actually improve heart health. “The detrimental effects of the alcohol outweighs [the benefits],” Dr. Farah says, noting that a global study on the matter, published in 2018, summarized that no amount of alcohol could be considered “good for you.”
Hard Liquors Could Cause More Heart Damage
There are some types of alcohol that could do more harm than good. “The stronger the alcohol, the more damaging,” says Dr. Farah, noting that hard liquor, like vodka, can cause more health issues down the line. Dr. Morgan agrees, noting that hard alcoholic beverages with high sugar content are also less healthy due to their increased calorie content. The same thing goes for quantity, Dr. Farah explains: The higher amount of alcohol consumed, the greater the detrimental impact could be.
Avoid Binge Drinking
Binge drinking, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is a pattern of alcohol consumption that brings someone’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 g/dl or higher. This can occur when men consume five or more drinks or when women consume four or more drinks in about two hours, explains the CDC.
Those who binge drink, even if they don’t drink alcohol on a regular basis, could be at risk for heart attack or failure. “Heart failure is a condition where the pump in the heart gives out,” says Dr. Farah. “That can reduce somebody’s life expectancy and, of course, the quality of life, as well (including shortness of breath and swelling in their legs).”
Alcohol Can Weaken the Heart
The detrimental effect of alcohol is that it essentially weakens the heart. “When it weakens the muscle, it basically doesn’t pump as well anymore,” Dr. Farah says. “It also has an impact on the atherosclerosis process, which is the plaque building process.” In turn, those who drink alcohol excessively could start building blockages; these could cause other metabolic issues, such as weight gain and an electrolyte imbalance in the body—and both impact the heart.
Don’t Drink Alcohol If You’ve Experienced Heart Failure
Those with specific heart conditions should avoid drinking alcohol altogether. “We don’t want our heart failure patients to be consuming any amount of alcohol,” Dr. Farah says. For those with any other heart-related conditions, the key is to consume in moderation. “It’s not to say that no one is ever going to have alcohol—that’s unrealistic,” she adds. “For those who occasionally enjoy their glass of wine, that’s okay.”
Maintain other practices for the best heart health: Stick to a heart-healthy diet (Dr. Farah suggests the Mediterranean diet), exercise, manage stress, avoid smoking, and, of course, avoid excessive alcohol consumption.
mixing cocktails at home Credit: Boogich / Getty Images
mixing cocktails at home
Credit: Boogich / Getty Images
