Responsible drinking

Responsible drinking

If you drink alcohol, it is best to limit how much you drink. This is called drinking in moderation.

Yet responsible drinking means more than limiting yourself to a certain number of drinks. It means you are not getting drunk, and you are not letting alcohol control your life or the life of others around you.

What You Need to Know

The tips in this section are for people who:

• Do not have a drinking problem now or in the past
• Are old enough to drink legally
• Are not pregnant

Healthy men up to age 65 should limit themselves to:

• No more than 4 drinks in 1 day
• No more than 14 drinks in a week

Healthy women of all ages and healthy men over age 65 should limit themselves to:

• No more than 3 drinks in 1 day
• No more than 7 drinks in a week

Other tips that will also help you be a responsible drinker are:

• Never drink alcohol and drive
• If you are going to drink, have a designated driver, someone in your group who is not drinking. Or plan to get home a different way, such as a taxi or bus.
• Do not drink on an empty stomach. Have a snack or meal before you drink and while you are drinking.

If you take any medicines, including ones you bought without a prescription, check with your doctor before you drink. Alcohol can affect the way your body uses some drugs. A drug may not work correctly, or it could even be dangerous or make you sick if it is combined with alcohol.

If alcoholism runs in your family, you may be at higher risk of becoming an alcoholic yourself. Not drinking at all might be best for you.

Can Responsible Drinking Improve Your Health?

Many people drink now and then. You may have heard about some health benefits from moderate drinking. Some of these benefits have been proven more than others, but none of them should be used as a reason for drinking.

Some of the possible benefits of moderate drinking that have been studied are:

• Reduced risk of heart disease or a heart attack
• Reduced risk of strokes
• Lower risk of gallstones
• Lower risk of diabetes

 

Source: Medline Plus.

ENJOY THAT GLASS.

If you are like many others drink alcohol at least occasionally. For many people, moderate drinking is probably safe. It may even have health benefits, including reducing your risk of certain heart problems. Moderate drinking is one drink a day for women or anyone over 65, and two drinks a day for men under 65.

Some people should not drink at all, including alcoholics, children, pregnant women, people on certain medicines and people with some medical conditions.

Who is Alcoholic: The most adults, moderate alcohol use is probably not harmful. However, millions can be classified as alcoholics or have alcohol problems.

Alcoholism is a disease with four main features:

• Craving - a strong need to drink
• Loss of control - not being able to stop drinking once you've started
• Physical dependence - withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, or shakiness when you don't drink
• Tolerance - the need to drink greater amounts of alcohol to feel the same effect

Alcoholism carries many serious dangers. Heavy drinking can increase the risk of certain cancers. It can cause damage to the liver, brain, and other organs. Drinking during pregnancy can harm your baby. Alcoholism also increases the risk of death from car crashes, injuries, homicide, and suicide.

Anything more than moderate drinking can be risky. Binge drinking - drinking five or more drinks at one time - can damage your health and increase your risk for accidents, injuries and assault. Years of heavy drinking can lead to liver disease, heart disease, cancer and pancreatitis. It can also cause problems at home, at work and with friends.

Alcohol use and safe drinking

Alcohol use involves drinking beer, wine, or hard liquor.

Alcohol is one of the most widely used drug substances in the world.

THE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL

Alcoholic drinks have different amounts of alcohol in them:

• Beer is about 5% alcohol, although some beers can have more.
• Wine is usually 12 - 15% alcohol.
• Hard liquor is about 45% alcohol.

Alcohol gets into your bloodstream quickly.

The amount and type of food in your stomach can change how quickly this occurs. For example, high-carbohydrate and high-fat foods can make your body absorb alcohol more slowly.

Certain types of alcoholic drinks get into your bloodstream faster. A carbonated (fizzy) alcoholic drink, such as champagne, will be absorbed faster than a non-carbonated drink.

Alcohol slows your breathing rate, heart rate, and how well your brain functions. These effects may appear within 10 minutes and peak at around 40 - 60 minutes. Alcohol stays in your bloodstream until it is broken down by the liver. The amount of alcohol in your blood is called your "blood alcohol level." If you drink alcohol faster than the liver can break it down, this level will rise.

Your blood alcohol level is used to legally define whether or not you are "drunk." The blood alcohol legal limit usually falls between 0.08 and 0.10. Some countries have zero tolerance for driving. Below is a list of blood alcohol levels and the likely symptoms.

• 0.05 -- reduced inhibitions
• 0.10 -- slurred speech
• 0.20 -- euphoria and motor impairment
• 0.30 -- confusion
• 0.40 -- stupor
• 0.50 -- coma
• 0.60 -- respiratory paralysis and death

HEALTH RISKS OF ALCOHOL

Alcohol increases the risk of:

• Alcoholism or alcohol dependence
• Falls, drownings, and other accidents
• Head, neck, stomach, and breast cancers
• Motor vehicle accidents
• Risky sex behaviors, unplanned or unwanted pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
• Suicide and homicide

Drinking during pregnancy can harm the developing baby. Severe birth defects or fetal alcohol syndrome are possible.

RESPONSIBLE DRINKING

If you drink alcohol, it is best to do so in moderation. Moderation means the drinking is not getting you intoxicated, or drunk, and you are drinking no more than 1 drink per day if you are a woman and no more than 2 if you are a man. A drink is defined as 360 ml of beer, 150 ml of wine, or 50 ml of liquor.

Here are some ways to drink responsibly, provided you do not have a drinking problem, are of legal age to drink alcohol, and are not pregnant:

• NEVER drink alcohol and drive a car.
• If you are going to drink, have a designated driver, or plan an alternative way home, such as a taxi or bus.
• Do not drink on an empty stomach. Snack before and while drinking alcohol.

If you are taking medication, including over-the-counter drugs, check with your doctor before drinking alcohol. Alcohol can intensify the effects of many drugs and can interact with other drugs, making them ineffective or dangerous, or making you sick.

Do NOT drink if you have a history of alcohol abuse or alcoholism.

If alcoholism runs in your family, you may be at increased risk of developing alcoholism yourself, and may want to avoid drinking alcohol altogether.

 

What type of drinker are you?

What type of drinker are you?

Many people with alcohol problems cannot tell when their drinking is out of control. An important first step is to be aware of how much you are drinking and how your alcohol use may be harming your life and those around you.

One drink is defined as a 360 ml. can or bottle of beer, a 150ml glass of wine, a wine cooler, or 1 cocktail or shot of hard liquor. Think about:

• How often you have any alcoholic drinks at all
• How many drinks you have when you do drink
• How any drinking you are doing is affecting your life or the people around you

Responsible Drinking

Here are some ways to drink responsibly, as long as you do NOT have a drinking problem.

Healthy men up to age 65 should limit themselves to:

• No more than 4 drinks in 1 day
• No more than 14 drinks in a week

Healthy women up to age 65 should limit themselves to:

• No more than 3 drink in 1 day
• No more than 7 drinks in a week

Healthy women of all ages and healthy men over age 65 should limit themselves to:

• No more than 3 drinks in 1 day
• No more than 7 drinks in a week

Risky (At Risk) Drinking

People with risky drinking patterns are drinking more than is considered medically safe. People who are risky drinkers have a higher risk of going on to abuse alcohol and become dependent on alcohol.

Some habits of risky drinkers are drinking:

• Many times per month, or even per week
• 3 to 4 drinks, or more, on a typical day
• 5 or more drinks on one occasion monthly, or even weekly

Your health care provider will advise you to cut down or even quit, and can help you begin to do this.

Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol abuse is a type of drinking that may affect how your life is going. If you have any of these problems, you may be abusing alcohol.

• You did not do what you were expected to do (at home, work, or school) as a result of drinking.
• Your drinking caused you or someone else to be injured, or could have caused injury.
• You have had run-ins with the law.
• You have had trouble or conflict with your family, friends, or coworkers.

You may also have early signs of alcohol dependence.

Alcohol Dependence

Some signs of alcohol dependence are that you:

• Need to drink more to get the same effect from alcohol
• Have not been able to cut down or stop
• Have symptoms of withdrawal when you try to quit or cut down. Some of these are tremors, sweating, nausea, or insomnia.
• Have not been able to stop drinking once you have started
• Continue to drink, even though alcohol is causing emotional or physical problems, or problems with your family, friends, or job
• Spend a lot of time drinking, thinking about drinking, or recovering from drinking
• Spend less time on other activities that used to be important or that you enjoyed

When to Call the Doctor

If you or others are concerned about your drinking, make an appointment with your health care provider to talk about your drinking. Your health care provider can help guide you to the best treatment.

 

Source: Medicine Plus.

Triglycerides and Cardiovascular Disease

Source: American Heart Association

Top Ten Things To Know
Triglycerides and Cardiovascular Disease

1. Triglycerides (or blood fats) are an important barometer of metabolic health; high levels
may be associated with coronary heart disease, diabetes, and fatty liver.
2. According to NHANES data, Mexican-Americans have the highest rates of triglycerides
(35.5%), followed by non-Hispanic whites (33.2%), and African-Americans (15.9%).
3. Non-fasting blood can now be used to screen for high triglyceride levels.
4. Normal fasting triglyceride levels are less than 150 mg/dL, and the authors suggest that
new optimal levels should be less than 100 mg/dL.
5. People with high triglycerides (= 150 mg/dL) should limit their intake of fructose that is
mainly found in soda and fruits, and instead emphasize a healthy diet including an
increase in consumption of vegetables and low fructose fruits.
6. Simple sugars (high fructose syrup), saturated fats, and trans-fats raise triglyceride
levels, whereas weight loss or use of unsaturated fats, especially those containing
marine omega-3 fatty acids, lower triglyceride levels.
7. Consuming too many simple sugars, refined grains, and alcohol will increase triglyceride
levels for those who have not been diagnosed with triglycerides outside normal range.
8. For everyone, adopting and maintaining healthy lifestyle measures (i.e. diet and physical
activity) are very effective and can lower triglyceride levels by up to 50%.
9. Triglyceride elevations (levels above 1,000 mg/dL) are associated with acquired causes
such as poorly controlled diabetes, medications such as steroids or estrogens, and/or
poor diet with excess alcohol, and especially if there is an underlying genetic disorder of
triglyceride metabolism.
10. It has not been determined whether lowering triglyceride levels beyond LDL cholesterol
reduces the risk of heart disease and more research is needed to validate triglycerides
as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease