More than a hangover: Heavy drinking linked to earlier and more severe strokes, study shows

Think your “just one drink” night out with friends isn’t doing any harm to your health?

Think again. When that “just one drink to unwind” extends into several nights, the result can be more than a hangover the next day. Several studies have already shown that there’s no safe limit to alcohol consumption when it comes to looking after your health, especially in the long run.

Now, a new study has revealed that heavy drinking isn’t just associated with higher stroke risk: it’s linked to strokes that strike earlier and hit harder. The findings of this new study shine a light on how alcohol can silently undermine brain blood vessels long before a dramatic medical emergency.

What does the study say

The new study, published in the journal Neurology, reports that people who chronically consumed heavy amounts of alcohol experienced one of the most dangerous types of stroke — an intracerebral hemorrhage (bleeding inside the brain) — on average, eleven years earlier than those who drank lightly or not at all.

Specifically, the research team working with Mass General Brigham and other institutions studied a cohort of 1,600 patients admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital between 2003 and 2019 for non‐traumatic intracerebral haemorrhage.

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