Gaby
A large-scale study by California cardiologists has uncovered new trends in alcohol consumption among women, once again highlighting the harmful effects of this destructive habit on the female population.
Researchers from The Permanente Medical Group found that middle-aged women who drink at least a glass of wine every evening significantly increase their risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.
Moreover, women who abuse alcohol (defined as consuming at least three glasses of wine daily for three months) are 68 percent more likely to develop cardiovascular diseases compared to those who drink alcohol a few times a week.
In contrast, men who drink a serving of wine every evening face a 33 percent increased likelihood of developing heart disease. This revelation has alarmed cardiologists: it turns out that the health risks associated with regular alcohol consumption are significantly greater for women than for men.
A standard serving of alcohol contains 10 milliliters (8 grams) of ethanol. This amount is found in 250 ml of 5% beer or 150 ml of dry wine.
What Scientists Discovered
The study involved 189,000 women and 243,000 men aged 18 to 65. Participants were divided into three groups based on their weekly alcohol consumption. Over four years, researchers closely monitored the health of the participants.
The first group consisted of those who consumed little alcohol: one to two servings per week. The second group included moderate drinkers: three to seven servings. Finally, the third group comprised heavy drinkers: eight or more servings.
If participants reported consuming more than three servings of alcohol in a single day over a three-month period, they were classified as alcohol abusers.
In their research, cardiologists also considered other factors contributing to heart disease, such as age, physical activity, and smoking.
By the end of the fourth year of the study, cardiovascular diseases had developed in more than 3,100 individuals. Notably, the incidence in the low and moderate alcohol consumption groups was approximately the same.
Women who consumed eight servings per week were 45 percent more likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseases than those in the first group.
According to the researchers, the average age for heart attacks among women is 70. However, in the cohort participating in this study, signs of cardiovascular diseases were observed at a significantly younger age.
“I did not expect such results among women in this age group, as we usually see an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases among older women. So this was certainly surprising,” noted Dr. Jamal Rana, the lead author of the study.
Why Scientists Addressed This Topic
Scientists consider this topic extremely relevant. They initiated the study against the backdrop of rising alcohol consumption among young and middle-aged women, as reported by the Daily Mail.
According to another study involving over 200,000 American adults conducted by Columbia University, the percentage of women aged 30-44 who regularly consume alcohol doubled from 21 percent in 2006 to 42 percent in 2018.
Since 2016, the number of women dying from excessive alcohol consumption has increased by 35 percent. Some experts attribute this dangerous trend to women’s interactions on social media, where middle-aged women encourage one another to drink and joke about it. This phenomenon has been dubbed “wine moms,” referring to mothers who use alcohol to relieve the stress associated with motherhood.
