Alcohol and CHD

Alcohol and CHD

Let’s be honest. We know you might not be of legal drinking age. Some of you will choose never to drink alcohol even after you turn the legal drinking age. But for those of you who will, we hope the following info is helpful.

Many adults with CHD wonder if they can safely drink alcohol. For most people, small amounts of alcohol are okay.

Drinking larger amounts of alcohol (‘binge drinking’) is definitely not safe.

You probably know that many young adults drink more alcohol than they should. What you might not know is that heavy drinking is even worse for people with CHD.

Heavy drinking can cause very dangerous heart rhythms
Heavy drinking can weaken the heart muscle and lead to heart failure
Some kinds of CHD affect the liver and alcohol could further damage the liver
Alcohol can interact with your heart medications, making them less effective or even creating a dangerous reaction

There are some people with CHD for whom even small amounts of alcohol are not safe. This includes some people with high blood pressure or some heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias).

Talk to your doctor about how alcohol affects your heart condition.

For more general info about alcohol, check out these websites below:

Health Canada - Information about problematic alcohol use

The CDC - Alcohol use and your health

Facts about mixing prescription meds, booze & street drugs

This website is designed specifically for young people with congenital heart disease. The goal is to provide information to help people who are getting ready to move (or have recently moved) to adult heart care. We use the term ‘transition’ to describe this process. Family, friends and health care providers may also find this website helpful.

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