Partying Days Over? Binge Drinking Can Haunt You Years Later

Sept. 28, 2007 (KABC-TV) - Another reason to avoid binge drinking -- we're learning young people who drink heavily run the risk of serious health problems years later.

Watching crazy party scenes in movies like "Animal House" or "Old School" may be a trip down memory lane. But new research suggests what you did then could hurt you now. College students who drink heavily can double their levels of a blood marker call C-reactive protein (CRP).

CRP raises your risk of heart disease. Other research shows drinking heavy amounts of alcohol over time can actually decrease brain volume.

"Even occasional episodes of heavy drinking may be bad for one's health," said Dr. Kenneth Mukamal of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. "In our studies, even people who binge drink on occasion seem to have very substantial increased risks of dying, say, after a heart attack."

But not drinking at all isn't the answer, either. Non-drinkers have higher CRP numbers than those who drink a little, bringing new meaning to the message that moderation is key.

So what exactly is a moderate amount? Dr. Mukamal says it's one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men -- as many days a week as you want, and any type of alcoholic beverage.

This raises your good cholesterol levels, helps lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes, serves as a blood thinner, and may actually ward off dementia.

"Light doses, we seem to lower our risk of certain diseases," said Dr. Mukamal. "But clearly, at heavier doses we increase those risks."

Experts also say you won't get any of the health benefits from moderate drinking until you hit your 50s. Until then, just saying no is really the healthiest way to go.

 

Quoted from http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=health&id=5680781:

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