Nov 08, 2025
3 min read
A large study in the United States showed that heavy drinkers had strokes 11 years earlier, and with greater severity, than nondrinkers or moderate drinkers.
Three alcoholic drinks a day can cause acute and early brain hemorrhage
A study conducted in the United States found that over 11 years of heavy alcohol consumption, over 11 years, those who drank alcohol at all had significantly more fatigue or weight than those who drank too much.
Research has shown that a worrying link has been found in the United States between heavy alcohol use and severe and early strokes.The study, which analyzed 1,600 cardiology patients, explained that those who drank three or more drinks a day had a history of heart disease in the past, and those who did not drink or do so in moderation.
Patients with this consumption habit are admitted to hospital with brain hemorrhages that are up to 70% larger and tend to settle in deeper areas of the brain, further worsening their prognosis.In fact, they are nearly twice as likely to suffer a particularly dangerous combination: a stroke that spreads to the ventricles of the brain, which experts link to poor recovery rates and a higher risk of severe disability.The study was published today in the Journal of Neurology of the American Academy of Neurology.was published.
"Bleeding in the brain is one of the deadliest and most disabling diseases known to man," said the study's lead author Adip Gorol, a researcher in the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital. "They appear suddenly, cause severe damage and often leave patients with life-changing disabilities. It is one of the most difficult diseases to overcome," added the researcher.
In their study, the scientists defined heavy drinking as drinking three or more alcoholic drinks on a regular basis per day, which is equal to about 42 grams of alcohol, such as three cans of beer or three glasses of wine.The analysis showed a marked difference in age: patients classified as heavy drinkers had a stroke at an average age of 64 years.The remaining patients, who drank less than three drinks or did not drink at all, suffered a stroke at an average age of 75 years, a difference of 11 years.Although most patients in the study were Caucasian, Gurrol says the results are "highly generalizable" to other populations, such as African-American, Hispanic or Asian patients.
For the neurologist José Manuel Molto, "the work is good and they have collected data from a large number of patients," he explained, "they have not found anything new, but they have systematized well" studying the already known risk factors.Neurologist at the Verge Dels Lliris hospital in Alcoi and member of the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN), Molto believes that cognitive impairment or the excess of alcohol on the liver is "better known" therefore, this study, in which he was not involved, may better understand the neurological effects of alcohol consumption.
There is no safe consumption
Moltó says, in the case of Spain, "Three days of daily use, many people, is not high, although it really is."The expert believes that the weakness of many studies is their use, that is, it is the patients who say how much to complain, which is important that it does not correspond to reality."Perhaps the most important thing is to know if the habit is there," he says
The team behind the new study also linked alcohol consumption to severe symptoms of cerebral palsy, chronic damage to cerebral arteries, a major risk factor for both stroke and stroke-related degeneration.People who drink more than three times as much are more likely to have severe signs of damage to the white matter of the brain, an indicator of advanced VPD.Researchers have suggested that alcohol be effective in two ways: by increasing blood pressure, damaging and weakening nerves - and reducing platelet count - making it harder to clog and stop leaks.According to Moltó, damage to the small vessels is a very well-known and well-known phenomenon that has been associated with other risk factors such as "high blood pressure and diabetes".
All of this indicates that there is no completely safe alcohol consumption.“Limiting or stopping drinking alcohol is an important step toward reducing your risk,” Gorol says.“Even for people whose risk of cerebral hemorrhage is relatively low, limiting alcohol consumption to no more than three drinks per week can be an effective way to protect against all types of stroke and maintain brain and cardiovascular health,” he adds.Molto agrees that moderate alcohol consumption has "no proven beneficial effects" and that limiting it should be part of a comprehensive prevention strategy.“Much can be done to prevent stroke and cognitive impairment, control stress, diabetes and limit alcohol consumption to very little,” Molto concludes, adding these guidelines to a healthy and active lifestyle.
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