Did you know heavy drinking weakens the heart muscle over time? According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol also disturbs the heart’s pacemaking function, making it beat either irregularly or too quickly.
Alcohol can cause electrical impulses to cycle through the heart’s lower chambers too many times, which prevents an adequate amount of blood from filling up between beats. This may lead to tachycardia (an irregular heart rate), atrial fibrillation (where the heart beats too fast, too slow or irregularly), heart disease and even stroke. Avoid alcohol-related heart problems by following the recommended alcohol consumption limits — one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.
Take our free online HEARTaware risk assessment to learn about your current heart health risk. To find a doctor who can answer your heart care questions, call (800) 541-1861 or visit PorterPhysicianGroup.com.