Sunday night millions of Americans were glued to their TV sets watching as Hollywood’s elite were awarded with the Oscar. Gowns, glamor and great talent flooded the airwaves as we watched our favorite actors, directors, producers and films (etc.) pick up acknowledgements for a “job well done” in the film industry. So what does everyone do after the ceremony is over?
P-A-R-T-Y of course and no doubt huge amounts of alcohol were consumed throughout the night and into the wee hours of the following morning. Just how does this kind of celebrating affect health? According to Dr. Thomas A. Pearson from an article written in the American Heart Association Journal, large consumption of alcohol can lead to coronary heart disease and associated diseases causing lasting effects on health. The amount of alcohol consumed per day has a direct effect on wellness also. An average of 1-2 drinks daily (defined as ½ ounce of alcohol – measured as a “drink equivalent” for varied alcoholic beverages alcohol content contained) has been shown to actually improve overall cardiovascular health. However, variance from this amount creates a direct increase for cardiac disease.
Dr. Thomas states the following: “…mortality due to a large number of other diseases increases with an increasing number of drinks consumed per day. Diseases related to heavy consumption of alcohol and alcoholism include stroke,7 alcoholic cardiomyopathy,12 several kinds of cancer, cirrhosis, and pancreatitis, as well as accidents, suicide, and homicide. It should be noted that heavy consumption of alcohol is a major cause of hypertension,13 so that the diseases related to hypertension, such as stroke, are generally related to alcohol consumption. Heavy consumption of alcohol also appears to affect heart muscle and possibly arterial tissues directly.” (ahajornals.org)
Over consumption of alcohol will frequently lead to the urgent 9-1-1 call summoning assistance from medical health professionals who monitor the victim following protocols which often include the ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) and BLS (Basic Life Support) protocols respectively. Choosing to celebrate responsibly and monitoring alcohol consumption to remain within a moderate amount prevents injury and long-term effects on overall wellness…and that’s something to celebrate!
