More Than Two Daily Alcohol Drinks Leads to Heart Damage in Seniors

Taking more than two drinks a day can damage hearts of older adults particularly those of women a new study claims.

The study scanned hearts of 4,466 participants with average age of 76 years and recorded drinking habits of the participants. It found that consuming more than two drinks per day, the heart wall muscle of participants began to enlarge, a sign of cardiomyopathy that increases risk of cardiovascular disease. The left ventricle, which pumps oxygenated blood from heart to rest of the body, was most affected. The study also showed that women were more sensitive to toxic effects of alcohol.

"Women absorb and metabolize alcohol differently than men, and women seem to be more sensitive than men to the toxic effects of alcohol on cardiac function, developing alcoholic cardiomyopathy with a lower total lifetime dose of alcohol compared with men," NBC News quoted researchers writing in the study.

Light to moderate alcohol consumption can benefit young and middle-aged adults but moderate drinking has now been proven toxic for elders. The American Heart Association recommend restricting alcohol consumption to one drink a day for women and two for men.