Alcohol and Your Heart Health

Patients may ask whether alcohol consumption is beneficial for cardiovascular health, often citing headlines about alcohol being "heart healthy." Here's what you need to know.

Observational studies suggest that moderate alcohol consumption (1-2 drinks daily) is linked to lower cardiovascular risk, including reduced rates of coronary heart disease, stroke, and death in both healthy patients and those with existing cardiovascular disease, though the evidence is inconsistent. But here’s the catch: moderate drinkers typically maintain healthier lifestyles overall, and when adjusting for these behaviors, the apparent heart benefits largely disappear.

A 2025 Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) reinforces this uncertainty, clarifying that while consuming 1-2 drinks daily doesn’t appear to increase cardiovascular risk (e.g., coronary artery disease, heart failure, sudden cardiac death), the evidence only possibly supports a risk reduction.

And heavier consumption is linked to serious consequences. The AHA emphasizes that binge drinking or consuming 3 or more drinks daily (approximately 15 ounces of regular wine or 36 ounces of regular beer) elevates blood pressure and worsens cardiovascular outcomes. More importantly, hemorrhagic stroke risk increases with any amount of alcohol consumption, regardless of beverage type. And in fact, the World Health Organization has concluded that no amount of alcohol is truly safe or without health risks.

So what’s the bottom line for patients? If they don’t currently drink, advise against starting. For those who do drink, recommend consuming no more than 1-2 drinks per day, while stressing that even moderate consumption carries some health risks.

To dive deeper into the safety and efficacy profile of alcohol, check out our complete monographs for beer and wine.