“I besot myself to rich Irish spirits and awoke the next day forlorn, ‘tis true. Me luck’s run out this and me good heart’s abandoned this most sorrowful morn’.”
As the evening of Irish celebrating grows long, a typical Irish tradition of large amounts of alcohol is consumed. The danger lies in that very practice – drinking large quantities of alcohol within a short period of time. Often the result is heart damage, most often a heart attack.
The results show that men who binge drink have nearly twice the risk of heart attack or death from heart disease than regular drinkers over a 10-year period.
Binge drinking was defined as excessive alcohol consumption, or the equivalent of four or five drinks in a short period of time such as a weekend day.
“We found that alcohol consumption patterns differed radically in the two countries,” the researchers say. “In Belfast, most men’s alcohol intake was on one day of the weekend, Saturday, whereas in the three French centers [Lille, Strasbourg, Toulouse] studied, alcohol consumption was spread more evenly throughout the entire week.”
(Bill Hendrick – www.medicine.net)
This study compared European drinkers in France and Ireland and found an increased number of heart attacks followed the Irish. Finding moderation in drinking is the key. Celebrations need never be diffused with angst over participating in tradition, however knowing the risks involved with traditional partying behavior and choosing moderation instead is the key. Being able to enjoy holidays without wreaking havoc on your heart is certainly the right way to celebrate. Avoiding a call for emergency response and possible BLS protocols to offset that unfortunate end result of drinking is always preferable.
“Eat, drink and be merry” for certain but let’s do it in moderation. Have fun with celebrations and stay safe from risky behaviors that lead to regret. “Tomorrow we die?”…not at this party!
