Can people with arteriosclerosis drink alcohol?

Written by Li Hai Wen
Cardiology
Updated on February 15, 2025
00:00
00:00

Arteriosclerosis is a very common disease in daily life. After being diagnosed with arteriosclerosis, many patients often feel worried or anxious, and frequently ask their doctor if they can drink alcohol. The answer is yes, patients with arteriosclerosis can drink a moderate amount of alcohol, but should not drink excessively. As the saying goes, good liquor, when consumed properly, can be beneficial to health. Drinking in moderation can have certain health benefits. In addition, while drinking in moderation, it is also important to maintain good living habits, exercise regularly, quit smoking, and control weight to prevent the occurrence and progression of arteriosclerosis. (This should be done under the guidance of a doctor.)

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zeng Wei Jie
Cardiology
51sec home-news-image

What tests are used for arteriosclerosis?

If arteriosclerosis is in the early stages, we need to understand the situation with lipids and blood sugar, so lipid and blood glucose tests should be done. Later on, when some atheromatous plaques appear, examinations such as color Doppler ultrasound and cardiac echocardiography can be done to assess blood flow and the degree of narrowing in the vessels. For some severe narrowings, consider conducting a CTA, MRI, or angiography, which can non-invasively understand the lesions of arteriosclerosis. For some patients, if there is a need for interventional treatment, invasive, selective arterial angiography can be performed to understand the condition of the lesions. Therefore, different tests can be chosen at different stages.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
49sec home-news-image

What foods to eat for arteriosclerosis

Arteriosclerosis has become increasingly prevalent as living standards improve. This is directly related to unreasonable adjustments in dietary structure. People in this demographic should focus on a diet low in fats, sugars, and oils, and consume more vegetables and fruits as well as foods high in dietary fiber. Suitable fruits and vegetables include apples, oranges, tomatoes, kelp, kiwis, grapefruits, seaweed, enoki mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, onions, and peas. These foods contain high levels of vitamins, trace elements, and dietary fiber, which can purify the blood and help reduce high cholesterol and alleviate the progression of arteriosclerosis.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zeng Wei Jie
Cardiology
1min 3sec home-news-image

What medicine to take for arteriosclerosis?

Drug therapy is an important component of the treatment for atherosclerosis and mainly includes the following types. The first is to regulate blood sugar and lipids, keeping them under control to slow down the process of atherosclerosis. The second involves taking antiplatelet medications to prevent the formation of blood clots, especially since some plaques, particularly soft plaques, are prone to rupture. For some patients who have already formed blood clots, thrombolytic therapy might be considered, but this is not typically necessary for all patients. Additionally, because high blood pressure can accelerate the progression of atherosclerosis, some patients also need to take antihypertensive drugs. For patients with narrowed blood vessels and severe symptoms, such as angina, vasodilators, including nitrates, might be used. Therefore, the treatment choices may vary depending on the severity of the condition, and the modes of drug therapy differ. (Note: Specific medications should be taken under the guidance of a doctor.)

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zeng Wei Jie
Cardiology
59sec home-news-image

Risk factors for arteriosclerosis

The etiology of atherosclerosis is not yet fully understood, but the main risk factors include age and gender. The older the age, the higher the probability of occurrence, and the probability in men is higher than in women. Abnormal blood lipids, with the main treatment target being low-density lipoprotein, hypertension, smoking, glucose tolerance abnormalities, and obesity are all possible risk factors. Additionally, we cannot ignore family history; if there is a history of early-onset coronary heart disease in the family, then this risk factor is also very high. Moreover, personality is related, with Type A personalities being more prone to atherosclerosis. Dietary habits are also related; patients who often eat high-calorie, high-animal-fat, high-cholesterol foods are prone to develop the condition. There are also patients taking oral contraceptives, who are likely to develop atherosclerosis.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhou Yan
Geriatrics
1min 35sec home-news-image

Is coronary arteriosclerosis serious?

The severity of arterial atherosclerosis is related to the location of the lesion and the narrowing it causes in the coronary arteries. This is because if the blood flow through the coronary arteries is insufficient to meet the metabolic demands of the heart muscle, it can lead to ischemia and hypoxia of the heart muscle, causing angina. Severe and prolonged ischemia can lead to myocardial necrosis, or myocardial infarction. When there is significant narrowing in the coronary artery lumen, for instance more than 50%-75%, the situation can be compensated during rest. However, during exercise or rapid heart rate or emotional excitation, the oxygen demand of the heart muscle increases. This may result in mild or transient myocardial oxygen supply, or an imbalance between supply and demand. Another scenario involves unstable atherosclerotic plaques that rupture, erode, or bleed, leading to platelet aggregation or thrombus formation, causing a rapid worsening of luminal narrowing. This results in a decreased supply of oxygen to heart muscle, leading to acute coronary syndrome, which is very severe. In fact, the degree of coronary artery atherosclerosis is positively correlated with plaque stability, plaque location, and the elasticity of the coronary artery.