Binge drinking linked to heart disease
Researchers at the University of Rochester, New York have published a study showing a link between increased alcohol consumption and risk of heart disease.
The study found that irregular heavy drinking patterns have been found to clog arteries, in news which could be of interest to those looking for a health insurance quote.
"Factors like binge-drinking have been linked to increased risk for heart disease, and the newer inflammatory model is beginning to explain how," said Dr John Cullen, assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Rochester Medical Centre.
"One of our experiments found that acetaldehyde, at levels found in the blood after binge drinking, increased the number of monocytes that can adhere to cells lining blood vessels by 700 per cent."
The research claimed that an understanding of these effects could lead to the development of new treatments.
Meanwhile, the BBC recently reported that binge drinking in the UK is costing the economy £20 billion per year.
It showed that every year 17 million working days are lost to hangovers and drink-related illness, with the estimated cost to business in the region of £6.4 billion.
Furthermore, the NHS spends upwards of £1.7 billion treating alcohol-related illness and up to 22,000 premature deaths occur each year because of alcohol.
Adfero Ltd provides live and tailored breaking industry news for Chartis Direct. All industry news is prepared by Adfero Ltd and as such does not represent the views or opinions of Chartis Direct a trading name of UNAT Direct Insurance Management Limited.
© Adfero Ltd 2008
