Two Drinks a Day
A couple of drinks a day reduce the risk of the most common type of stroke by about a tenth. However, any more than that 1._____ the risk of the most deadly strokes, according to a summary of 27 studies involving more than 20,000 patients.
Researchers believe that alcohol could hamper the formation of dangerous blood clots. But they caution against drinking to protect the brain, saying that a rise in blood pressure could offset any benefit. The study adds to the 2._____ around the health benefits of light drinking.
A recent investigation, by researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, suggests a benefit in protecting against ischemic strokes, which make up the bulk of cases, resulting from a blockage in the blood 3._____ to the brain. People were 8 percent less likely to suffer an ischemic stroke if they had one or two drinks a day.
Susanna Larsson, lead author of the paper, says: “Previous research has found an association between alcohol consumption and lower levels of fibrinogen – a protein in the body which helps the formation of blood clots. While this may explain the connection between light to moderate alcohol consumption and lower ischemic stroke risk, the 4._____ effect of alcohol consumption on blood pressure – a major risk factor for stroke – may increase the risk of another type of stroke."
About 15 percent of strokes are the result of blood vessels bursting within the brain. This type, known as haemorrhagic, tends to be fatal. No 5._____ has so far been found between light drinking and haemorrhagic stroke. However, people who had more than four drinks a day were 67–82 percent more likely to suffer one.
Shamim Quadir, of the Stroke Association, says: "This research suggests that there is much more to understand about the effects of alcohol consumption on the different types of stroke."
Chris Smyth, The Times