In honor of National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week—January 23–29—we have collected some of our most informative articles addressing how long alcohol stays in your system, as well as its impact on your heart, kidneys, and triglyceride levels.
How long does alcohol stay in your system?
If you’ve ever wondered how long alcohol stays in your system, look no further. The simple answer to this question is that it mainly depends on how much you drink. At some point, any alcohol that is not metabolized is held up in the blood and tissues. If this is a frequent occurrence, the tissues of the brain and body get damaged over time.
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As soon as you have a drink, your body absorbs alcohol. Because it slows down the central nervous system, practically all of your body functions are affected. Unlike with other foods and beverages, your body doesn’t need to break down alcohol for digestion. Continue reading…
Heart attack, atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure risk increases with alcohol abuse: Study
Heart attack, atrial fibrillation, and congestive heart failure risk increases with alcohol abuse. The risk of these heart conditions has been found to climb up with excessive alcohol drinking as much as with other known risk factors, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, and obesity.
Heart disease still remains the number one killer among men and women, despite advances in prevention and treatment.
Lead researcher of the study Gregory M. Marcus explained, “We found that even if you have no underlying risk factors, abuse of alcohol still increases the risk of these heart conditions.” Continue reading…
Stroke risk reduced with moderate daily alcohol
A new study has suggested that a daily moderate dose of alcohol can reduce the risk of ischemic stroke, but heavy drinking increases the risk of other types of stroke. The researchers reviewed 25 studies and found that two drinks a day reduced the risk of ischemic stroke, but increases the risk of a bleeding stroke.
The American Stroke Association estimates that 87 percent of strokes are ischemic, while 13 percent are bleeding.
On the other hand, heavy drinking—over two drinks a day—was associated with a higher risk of both types of stroke. Continue reading…
Kidney disease and alcohol consumption: Causes of kidney pain after drinking alcohol
It is often advised to avoid alcohol consumption if you have kidney disease, as it can result in kidney pain among other complications. Furthermore, consuming over four alcoholic beverages can worsen kidney disease.
The CDC estimates at least two out of three Americans consume alcohol, and some drinkers consume over five drinks at a time. Twenty-five percent of drinkers have admitted they have consumed over five beverages in one occasion at least once in the past year. This is known as binge drinking and it is associated with severe kidney problems.
Drinking too much too often can damage the kidneys. Regular heavy drinking is associated with double the risk of kidney disease. The risk is even greater among those who drink and smoke. Continue reading…
Triglyceride levels and the impact of alcohol
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Triglyceride levels can be affected by alcohol intake in many different ways. For starters, alcohol consumption means more calories to metabolize. No digestion is required, so it goes directly to the liver. Instead of metabolizing fatty acids, the liver then starts processing the alcohol. As a result, the triglyceride levels in the liver—and subsequently in the blood—rise.
Secondly, alcohol alters the basic structures of liver cells and, as a result, they are unable to process fats the way they should. This, again, raises triglyceride levels and contributes to a fatty liver.
Lastly, alcohol drinkers typically snack on unhealthy food loaded with triglycerides. Potato chips, nachos, and pizza are all good examples of such snacks. Those extra calories translate to higher triglyceride levels too. Continue reading…
