Alcohol Use and Cardiovascular Disease
Published: June 09, 2025
- Heavy alcohol consumption (generally >2 drinks/day) and binge drinking are consistently associated with worse cardiovascular outcomes, including hypertension, coronary artery disease, stroke, arrhythmias, cardiomyopathy, and heart failure.
- Significant knowledge gaps remain, and more research, particularly from well-designed randomized controlled trials, is needed to better elucidate the true cardiovascular health effects of light to moderate alcohol consumption.
- Given the existing evidence, it remains unknown whether consuming light to moderate alcohol is part of a healthy lifestyle and therefore clinicians should reinforce healthy lifestyle behaviors such as regularly engaging in physical activity, avoiding tobacco use, and maintaining healthy body weight.