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Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can increase an individual’s risk of a stroke, according to a new study.

Tulane University researchers concluded that heavy drinking - more than 21 drinks per week – can induce hypertension (high blood pressure), which is a key risk factor for a stroke.

Focusing their study on a nationally representative sample of Chinese men, the team examined the relationship between alcohol consumption and the condition.

"The relationship between alcohol intake and the development of stroke has not been very clear from observational studies done in the past," noted Dr Lydia Bazzano, assistant professor of epidemiology at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

She continued: "We wanted to look at this relationship in a really large cohort, which gives us the best power to detect any association."

Alcohol consumption has also been linked to exaggerated insulin secretion, resulting in severe hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) – potentially life-threatening for people with diabetes.

Health campaigners maintain that education is necessary throughout the world to curb alcohol abuse and the plethora of complications it creates for people with existing medical conditions.

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This entry was posted on Monday, January 14th, 2008 at 3:04 pm and is filed under Alcohol and Drug Addiction, Stroke.