Over time, this cascade of effects may drive up the risk for heart attacks and strokes. The endocrine system is activated and pumps out cortisol, telling the body to store fat, which increases the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure, and adrenaline, which further turns up blood pressure. Worried about your drinking? Here's how to check it Tawakol studies something called the stress neural network, which is centered around a part of the brain called the amygdala. When the amygdala is overexcited, it turns up the sympathetic nervous system, setting the body up for a fight-or-flight response. This causes blood pressure to go up and increases inflammation. Certain neurons also become activated in the process and direct the bone marrow to release more pro-inflammatory cells. “It was about 20% in most patients but 40% relative risk reduction among individuals with prior anxiety.” “Alcohol was twice as effective at reducing major adverse cardiac events among individuals with stress and anxiety,” Tawakol said. The benefits were especially prevalent among people with a history of anxiety. “We found that the brain changes in light to moderate drinkers explained a significant portion of the protective cardiac effects,” Tawakol said. They also analyzed brain scans of hundreds of these people and found that those who were light to moderate drinkers had reduced stress responses in the amygdala, the part of the brain that processes fear and threats – along with fewer heart attacks and strokes. They found that those who had one to 14 drinks per week were less likely to have a heart attack or stroke than those who had less than one drink per week, even after adjusting for genetic, lifestyle and other risk factors. “If you think of short-term alcohol, the first effect that people get … is a little bit of a destressing response,” he said.įor the study, Tawakol and his team analyzed the drinking habits of thousands of people who were enrolled in the Mass General Brigham Biobank. Ahmed Tawakol, senior author of the study and co-director of the Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, noted that after you have a little alcohol, before you feel buzzed, you feel relaxed. So a Boston-based team of cardiologists decided to look somewhere else: the brain.ĭr. Scientists have never been able to tease out exactly why this is the case, however. Alcohol seems to increase levels of HDL, the “good” cholesterol, and drinkers have lower levels of a sticky protein called fibrinogen in their blood, which may reduce the risk of dangerous clots. And in small amounts, alcohol may increase insulin sensitivity. But these don’t seem to fully explain the benefit. Study presents unexpected - and complicated - findings on link between alcohol and dementia ![]() ![]() Close up man holding glass with alcohol in hand on wooden table at home, drinking whiskey alone, customer sitting at bar counter, problem with alcoholic beverages concept fizkes/Adobe Stock
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