Binge drinkers 'at greater risk of heart disease'
Binge drinkers could have a higher risk of heart disease, new research suggests.
Downing lots of alcohol in just one or two sittings has a worse effect than drinking more steadily over the course of a week, according to a study.
Experts compared the drinking habits of almost 10,000 men in France and Belfast and found the overall amount of alcohol they consumed in a week was the same.
However, those in Belfast were far more likely to be binge drinkers than men in France, who drank less alcohol in each sitting but drank more regularly.
Only half of drinkers in Belfast were regular drinkers compared with most drinkers in France (51% compared with 90%).
Some 9% of men in Belfast were binge drinkers, mostly on a weekend, compared with just 0.5% of those in France.
Meanwhile, three-quarters (75%) of French men drank daily compared with 12% in Belfast.
When studying the chance of heart attack and death from heart disease, the authors found that binge drinking doubled the risk in comparison to regular drinking.
Binge drinking was defined as consuming at least 50g of alcohol on at least one day per week.
Meanwhile, regular drinking was drinking alcohol on at least one day a week, and, if drinking on only one occasion, consuming less than 50g of alcohol.
The authors, writing in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), said: “Consuming a high quantity of alcohol on each drinking occasion, which characterises binge drinking, was particularly prevalent in Belfast and could contribute to the higher risk of ischaemic heart disease observed there.”
Drinkers in Belfast mostly consumed beer, followed by spirits and wine to a lesser extent.
Meanwhile in France, wine was most frequently consumed, followed by spirits and, less often, beer.
The study found that drinking wine appeared to cut the risk of heart disease, confirming previous research.
Men who never drank at all appeared to have an increased risk of heart disease compared with those who drank regularly, although the numbers were small and more research is needed.
The authors, led by a team at Toulouse University, added: “The prevalence of binge drinking, which doubled the risk of ischaemic heart disease compared with regular drinking, was almost 20 times higher in Belfast than in the French centres.”
All the men were aged 50 to 59 at the start of the study and were free from heart disease.
In an accompanying editorial, Annie Britton from University College London said binge drinking also causes cirrhosis of the liver and several kinds of cancer.
Amy Thompson, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: “This reinforces what we already know – that drinking high levels of alcohol can be harmful to your heart.
“It’s important to avoid binge drinking and it’s better to have a small amount of alcohol regularly rather than large amounts in one go.
“If you do drink, it’s important to keep within the recommended limits.
“Women should not regularly drink more than two to three units a day and men should not regularly drink more than three to four units a day.”
