According to a story in the Los Angeles Times, a recent study showed that heavy drinkers are at a higher risk of stroke.
Researchers in France concluded that heavy drinkers who consume three or more servings of alcohol per day are at an increased risk of a type of stroke called an intercerebral hemorrhage, and are more likely to have that stroke at an earlier age than non-drinkers.
Intercerebral hemorrhage is caused by bleeding in the brain. The more common type of stroke is ischemic, caused by clots in blood vessels.
Researchers have previously identified a number of risk factors for both types of strokes. In the case of ischemic strokes, those risk factors include a family history of blood clots, pregnancy and use of birth control pills.
While all birth control pills can increase the risk of blood clots that trigger ischemic strokes, a number of studies indicate that pills with the synthetic hormone drospirenone carry up to three times that risk of blood clots compared to other oral contraceptives on the market.
Pills with drospirenone include Yasmin, Yaz, Beyaz and Ocella.
Although previous studies have identified heavy drinking as a risk factor for ischemic stroke in the past, the Los Angeles Times reports, this is the first one analyzing differences between patients who suffer bleeding in different parts of the brain.
The French researchers found that people who drank a lot were more likely to have a stroke deep in the brain, and patients under 60 who suffered such strokes were more likely to die within two years of follow-up than other patients.
The report says the researchers wrote: “The approach we chose in the present study highlights the fact that heavy alcohol intake does not have the same effect in all intracerebral hemorrhage locations.”
Patients should consult their doctors before making any changes in their medication. A consultation with a Beyaz lawyer is also important if there are significant injuries while on Beyaz or similar birth control pills.
See the story here:
https://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-stroke-alcohol-risk-20120910,0,2559490.story
