Binge drinking increases heart risk
Researchers have found that it is not simply how much you drink that poses a risk to your health, but the speed at which you drink it, reports BBC News.
The study in question compared 10,000 male drinkers from both belfast and France over a period of ten years, and concluded that downing large quantities of alcohol in one sitting is worse than drinking more regularly throughout the week.
The researchers found that nine per cent of middle-aged men in Belfast were binge drinkers, consuming at least three pints of beer or five glasses of wine in one session, compared to just 0.5 per cent of those in France.
In addition to this the French men drank less alcohol in one sitting but did drink on a far more regular basis, with three quarters drinking on a daily basis, compared to just 12 per cent of men in Belfast.
The results of the study showed that men who were binge drinkers stood double the risk of a heart attack or death from heart disease than regular drinkers.
Senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, Amy Thompson, said “This reinforces what we already know – that drinking high levels of alcohol can be harmful to your heart.
“It’s important to avoid binge drinking and it’s better to have a small amount of alcohol regularly rather than large amounts in one go. If you do drink, it’s important to keep within the recommended limits.”
Frequent binge drinking could also eventually lead to more serious issues such as alcoholism, and if you are concerned that you or somebody you know is becoming dependent on alcohol then acknowledging the problem is the first step towards taking back control.
There are numerous avenues of help and support available, one of which is that of hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy is a popular treatment for addictions as the various relaxation techniques can help to uncover the root cause of the problem.
A hypnotherapist will be able to help you to understand why drinking has become a problem and will teach you valuable techniques which will come to replace destructive behaviour.
To find out more about how hypnotherapy could help you please visit our fact-sheet here, and to contact a hypnotherapist in your local area you can use the search tool located on the homepage.