Verified By Apollo General Physician December 19, 2023
3354Stroke happens when the blood supply to part of your brain is cut off, either because of a blood clot or a haemorrhage. Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, but most strokes can be prevented by addressing a number of key risk factors.
Drinking too much alcohol can increase your risk of stroke. Globally, excessive alcohol consumption is linked to over 1 million strokes each year.
Drinking too much alcohol either regularly, or ‘one-off’ over consumption can increase your risk of stroke. This is because alcohol is linked to a number of other conditions which are associated with strokes:
Drinking too much alcohol increases your blood pressure. High blood pressure is associated with over half of all strokes. Regular drinking can lead to damage to your circulatory system which increases your risk of stroke.
The upper daily limit is 2 units of alcohol for men and 1 unit of alcohol for women. An alcohol unit helps to measure and keep track of the alcohol you are consuming across a range of drinks. One unit is the equivalent 10ml of pure alcohol. Because different drinks have different levels of alcohol by volume (ABV) a single unit of alcohol is not the same thing as a single drink.
Sometimes we are in situations where we know we are likely to drink more than the recommended limit. While the health risks of doing this regularly are clear, for one off occasions, you can reduce the short-term risks to your health by:
Tips for Reducing Your Alcohol Consumption
Cutting down on alcohol can be difficult if you are finding it hard to control your drinking, speak to your doctor who can signpost you to tools, information and support.
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