Drinking within NHS guidelines may still increase the risk of stroke, according to a new study.
Experts said that the idea that drinking alcohol is good for you is not supported by evidence.
NHS guidance recommends a maximum of 14 units per week – the equivalent of six pints of average-strength beer or 10 small glasses of low-strength wine.
The researchers looked at 333,259 alcohol-drinkers aged between 40 and 69.
They analysed hospital admissions related to cardiovascular events and cerebrovascular diseases including strokes.
Over a seven-year-period, participants were asked about their weekly alcohol intake and how much they enjoyed particular drinks.
The data revealed that each additional 1.5 pints of beer above a 14-pint threshold was linked to a 23 per cent increase risk of having a cardiovascular event.
Dr Rudolph Schutte, associate professor at Anglia Ruskin University, who led the study, said:
“Among drinkers of beer, cider and spirits in particular, even those consuming under 14 units a week had an increased risk of ending up in hospital through a cardiovascular event involving the heart or the blood vessels.
“While we hear much about wine drinkers having lower risk of coronary artery disease, our data shows their risk of other cardiovascular events is not reduced.
“Biases embedded in epidemiological evidence mask or underestimate the hazards associated with alcohol consumption.
“When these biases are accounted for, the adverse effects of even low-level alcohol consumption are revealed.”
Tracy Parker, heart health dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, added:
“Current UK guidelines state that men and women should not drink more than 14 units of alcohol every week, so it’s vital for our health to stick within these guidelines and also try and have several alcohol-free days each week.
“It’s important to remember that alcohol guidelines should act as a limit, not a target, and we should aim to try to drink well below this threshold.”
NHS Digital data, first published last October, found that drinking alcohol was the main reason for around 280,000 admissions to England’s hospitals in 2019/20, 2 per cent higher than in 2018/19.
