Table of Contents

Dangers of Alcoholism.............................................................................................................2

The Brain..............................................................................................................................2

Cirrhosis................................................................................................................................2

More harmful than ecstasy..................................................................................................3

How Alcohol affects the Heart.................................................................................................3

High Blood Pressure.............................................................................................................4

Cardiomyopathy...................................................................................................................4

Dilated Cardiomyopathy.................................................................................................4

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.......................................................................................5

Restrictive Cardiomyopathy...........................................................................................5

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.......................................................................................................5

Stroke.....................................................................................................................................6

Benefits of Alcohol ≠ Alcoholism.............................................................................................6

Bibliography.............................................................................................................................8

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Dangers of Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a more widespread problem than it has always been known to be. In

many countries where laws are enforced to prevent alcohol purchase and alcohol

consumption, legal drinking age starts at around 18 to 21. There are countries which have no

laws imposed or in the example of United Kingdom - UK, the legal drinking age is just 5

years old.

The Brain

The effects of alcohol on the brain are clear. A person under the influence of alcohol

will have difficulty walking, blurred vision, and may have slurred speech as well as slow

reaction times. Memory of the person may also be impaired, with a high possibility that he or

she may have forgotten what happened when drunk. Studies have also shown that high doses

of alcohol affect the growth or regeneration of brain cells.I This means that children in the

UK at only 5 may be subjected to growth retardation. Another study has also found that many

teenagers as young as 12, have been diagnosed as alcoholics. The study claims that the heavy

drinkers who consume an average of 27 units of alcohol in a single week, which is the

equivalent of a bottle of spirits, found that remembering simple tasks is not as simple for

them. (Macrae, 2007)

Cirrhosis

Alcoholics are also known to develop problems such as cirrhosis. The development of

cirrhosis is a complication of several liver diseases. The diseases kill and injure liver cells,

and cells which do not die, multiply to replace the cells that have died. This results in clusters

of newly formed cells in the scar tissue. Alcoholism is also known to have developed liver

I
http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa63/aa63.htm

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cancer. A study by, Dr Francesco Donato, a professor in University of Brescia, Italy suggests

that drinking more than 60 grams of alcohol a day, which is equivalent to four or five glasses

of wine, increases the risks of developing liver cancer. (T., 2003)

More harmful than ecstasy

In a new study, UK researchers suggest that alcohol is so harmful that it should be

classified alongside Heroin and Ecstasy as Class A drugs. (Macrae, 2007) Ranking at number

four, it is much higher than tobacco at number nine as Class B. The report stated that both

alcohol and tobacco account for about 90% of drug related deaths in the UK and that only a

small number of ecstasy users were unfortunate enough to die. However, the report given was

not done on a scientific basis and deaths related to alcohol drinking would most probably be

only indirectly linked to it.

There are a few characteristics of alcoholism. Alcoholics have the overwhelming urge

to repeat the experience of getting “high”, and at times, the person’s urge goes beyond his/her

ability to resist, even with high risks involved. For alcoholics, to satisfy the urge to drink is of

their upmost priority in life. The need to satisfy the thirst of a drink is stronger than that of the

need to satisfy hunger and survival. And the urge to get “high” and drunk is normally linked

to happenings in the person’s life, be it tension, depression, anger or excitement. The

emotional instability of a person would push him or her into drinking more. Alcoholics will

always be at risks of repeating alcohol abuse at any time.

How Alcohol affects the Heart

Studies have shown that drinking than three glasses of alcohol in any single day has a

direct toxic effect on the heart. Alcoholism will damage the heart and lead to high blood

pressure, alcoholic cardiomyopathyII where the heart muscle becomes inflamed, congestive

II
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4468

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heart failure, and stroke. (Spences, 1996) Alcohol can increase levels of triglycerides in the

blood, and increase calorie intake, and alcoholics who binge may be lead to Stroke. Problems

like fetal alcohol syndrome – for women, Cardiac Arrhythmia or even sudden cardiac arrests

which leads to death may also be present to drinkers. (American Heart Association)

High Blood Pressure

High Blood Pressure is often known as a silent killer. One in three adults in the United

States – US has high blood pressure, and a third of them are clueless about it as there are no

symptoms for it. If uncontrolled, high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart failure, heart

attack or even kidney failure. To prevent high blood pressure, a person should keep his/her

blood pressure below 140/90 mm Hg. Any higher blood pressure results in hypertension and

higher risks of the mentioned heart diseases. Besides obesity, stress, high sodium intake and

low physical activity, alcohol dramatically increases blood pressure.

Cardiomyopathy

As mentioned, Cardiomyopathy is a heart disease where the heart muscle becomes

inflamed and the heart does not work to the level it should. There are primary and secondary

types of the disease, and three main types of Cardiomyopathy: dilated, hypertrophic and

restrictive.

Dilated Cardiomyopathy

The most common form of Cardiomyopathy is Dilated Cardiomyopathy. It causes the

heart cavity is enlarged and stretched otherwise known as cardiac dilation, resulting in the

heart becoming weak and not being able to pump properly. Most patients then develop

congestive heart failure. As the blood flows slowly through the enlarged heart, blood clots

form easily.

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Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy causes the wall between the pumping chambers of the

heart to become enlarged, resulting in obstruction of blood flow from the left chamber to the

right. Besides obstructing blood flow, the enlarged wall also deforms a leaflet of the mitral

valve and causing it to leak. Over one in two cases are hereditary and symptoms of the

syndrome are: shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting and chest pains or discomfort caused by

reduced blood supply to the heart muscle.

Restrictive Cardiomyopathy

The last form of Cardiomyopathy, Restrictive Cardiomyopathy is the least common

form of its kind in the US. The heart muscle or myocardium of the pumping chambers

becomes rigid, resulting in difficulty for the chambers to fill blood between heartbeats. The

person often gets tired and may have swollen hands and feet, or shortness of breath.

In many cases of Cardiomyopathy, Arrhythmias may also occur. It affects the

electrical system of the myocardium, causing it to produce abnormal heartbeats, and the heart

to pump less effectively. The result may be death.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - FAS is the result of a woman, who drinks alcohol during

her pregnancy and then giving birth to a baby with physical and mental birth defects. The

alcohol drank is passed on to the developing baby through the placenta, resulting in lifelong

damage to the baby. Babies with FAS may have brain damage, facial deformities, and growth

deficits. Defects involving the heart, liver, kidney, hearing and vision are also common. The

babies would also have difficulty in learning, problem solving, short attention span, and poor

memory.

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 As the leading cause of mental retardation and birth defects, FAS affects 1 in 100 live

born babies. The damages done could never be cured, and therefore women should not be

drinking alcohol before and during pregnancy.

Stroke

There are two types of stroke patients: Ischemic and Hemorrhagic. Ischemic stroke

occurs when arteries linking to the brain are blocked. This prevents the brain from bringing

fresh supply of blood and depositing “used blood” to the heart and lungs. If an artery is

blocked, the brain cells will not be able to renew energy and will eventually fail.

Hemorrhagic stroke is the opposite of Ischemic, it occurs when a blood vessel bursts

in the brain.III As the brain is very sensitive to bleeding, the damage may be rapid. As alcohol

thins the blood, it may increase the chances of bleeding. Due to the bleeding the brain tissue

may be irritated, causing it to swell. While the surrounding tissues of the brain resist the

swelling, the brain tissue may be compressed and displaced.

Benefits of Alcohol ≠ Alcoholism

Although heavy drinking is harmful to the human body, studies have shown that

moderate consumption of alcohol can be beneficial. A research by the Harvard School of

Public Health suggests that moderate drinking could be good to the heart and its regulatory

system.IV It may also prevent type II diabetes and gallstones. Alcohol is also known to

increase High Density Lipoprotein – HDL or otherwise known good cholesterol.

However what does moderate drinking mean? How much of a glass constitutes to the

definition of moderate drinking? There are numerous studies on how much constitutes to a

proper serving which is beneficial to us. In US a serving usually means 12 ounces of beer, 5

III
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000761.htm
IV
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/alcohol.html

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ounces of wine or 1.5 ounce of hard liquor. In other countries this may vary greatly. In

general, women should have no more than one drink a day and men no more than two.

Studies have shown that people who drink alcohol moderately have lower risks of

heart attack, ischemic stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. The results have been

observed in both men and women. As mentioned, ischemic stroke occurs when arteries

delivering blood are blocked. As such, blood thinning by alcohol could pass through more

easily. However, those at risk of hemorrhagic stroke may be at risk as blood would not clot

easily and chances of bleeding would be higher.

In a 1985 national health interview, survey showed that moderate drinkers are more

likely to be within the healthy weight range than heavy and non-drinkers. It is also good to

know that wine contains phytochemicals like Catechins which in laboratory studies have

shown to limit tumor growth, prevent blood clots – may have adverse effect as mentioned,

interfere with sexual hormones and anti-inflammatory properties. However, individuals who

seek to attain these benefits could also look to grape juice for an alternative.

The benefits and harmful effects of alcohol could be balanced by the willpower of an

individual who seeks to consume alcohol moderately. If the individual does not limit his/her

intake of alcohol to the “safe” levels, he/she may be at risk to the countless alcohol linked

diseases.

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Bibliography

Alcohol. (2007). the new paper, 26.

American Heart Association. (n.d.). Alcohol, Wine and Cardiovascular Disease.

Retrieved March 25, 2007, from American Heart Association:

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4422

Macrae, F. (2007). Binge Drinking Teenagers Are Damaging Their Brains. The Daily

Mail.

Mckinley Health Center. (2005, July 2). Alcohol and Nutrition: 101. Retrieved March 25,

2007, from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaigh:

http://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/Handouts/alcohol_nutrit_101.html

Spences, W. (1996). The Medical Consequences of Alcoholism. Health Edco.

T., B. (2003, November 23). Heavy Drinking Dangers. Retrieved March 25, 2007, from

About: http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/liver/a/aa020225a.htm

Vitamins, Carotenoids, and Phytochemicals . (2001, September). Retrieved March 25,

2007, from Reuters: http://www.reutershealth.com/wellconnected/doc39.html

Women's Heart Foundation. (n.d.). Alcohol and Heart Disease. Retrieved March 25,

2007, from Women's Heart Disease and Gender Care:

http://www.womensheartfoundation.org/content/HeartDisease/alcohol_and_heart_disea

se.asp

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