A new study suggests drinking alcohol increases the risk of heart disease — especially for women

Studies have linked high levels of alcohol consumption to everything from cancer to liver disease, but messaging about its effects on heart health has been unclear over the past few years. Now there is new data that suggests that regular drinking can increase the risk of heart disease. This seems to be especially true for women.

The study, which will be presented at the American College of Cardiology's annual scientific session, analyzed data from more than 430,000 people without heart disease who received care at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Integrated Health Organization between 2014 and 2015. Participants' alcohol consumption data were collected during primary care visits, and the researchers compared that data with coronary heart disease diagnoses over a four-year follow-up period. (Coronary heart disease occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the heart become narrowed, limiting blood flow. This can increase the risk of chest pain and heart events, including heart attack.)

During the study period, 3,108 participants were diagnosed with coronary heart disease, and the rate increased with higher levels of alcohol consumption. Among women, those with high alcohol intake (defined as eight or more drinks per week) had a 45% higher risk of heart disease than those who drank less (one to two drinks per week). Women who consumed high amounts of alcohol also had a 29% higher risk than moderate drinkers, who drank three to seven drinks a week.

Women in the binge-drinking category were 68% more likely to develop heart disease than women who drank moderately. Binge drinking was defined as more than three drinks in one day.

Men who consumed high amounts of alcohol (drinking 15 or more drinks per week) were 33% more likely to develop heart disease than those who drank moderately or drank three to 14 drinks per week.

Of note: there was no significant difference in risk between those who reported moderate alcohol intake compared to those with low alcohol intake.

"For a long time it wasn't thought that alcohol was good for the heart — but more and more evidence is challenging that idea," said study lead author Dr. Jamal Rana, a cardiologist at Permanente Medical Group and an associate investigator in the department. Kaiser Permanente Northern California research, tells Yahoo Life.

The research isn't perfect — the researchers even noted that people tend to underreport how much alcohol they've had to healthcare providers, for example — but it raises many questions about alcohol use and heart health, especially among women.

Why are women more at risk?

Doctors say there is some problem here. "Overall, alcohol can raise blood pressure, which is a risk factor for coronary heart disease, and it can also trigger an inflammatory response," says Dr Jennifer Wang, cardiologist and medical director of non-invasive cardiology at Memorial Care Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, Calif. Yahoo tells Life. "Inflammation is thought to contribute to atherosclerosis, which is the thickening or hardening of the arteries." Alcohol can raise cholesterol levels as well as increase the risk of obesity, both risk factors for coronary heart disease, she says.

But all these reasons are true for women and men. Why do women seem more vulnerable?

"Women process alcohol differently than men due to biological differences, including body size," says Rana. Women's bodies generally absorb more alcohol and it takes longer for them to metabolize it, she explains.

Dr. Ann Curtis, a cardiologist at the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, agrees. "It's a lot of body size," he told Yahoo Life. "Women are younger than men and the amount of alcohol you drink can have a greater effect."

There's also that to consider, according to Wong: "Women in general seem to be more sensitive to cardiovascular risk factors."

But alcohol use is also on the rise among young and middle-aged women, raising concerns about what that means for their heart health, Rana said.

For reference, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans—which do not recommend adopting an alcohol habit for health—recommend that women have no more than one drink a day and that drinking less than that is best.

What does this mean for men?

The study found the biggest jump in risk was among women, but men still had a higher risk of heart disease when they drank more. Still, the findings shouldn't be interpreted as an excuse for men to drink more than the recommended limit of two drinks a day, Curtis said.

"Men should pay attention to this as well, especially the information surrounding binge drinking," she says.

"We should all reduce our alcohol consumption if we can," says Wang. Rana agrees. "We need to raise awareness among both women and men that, in many cases, the recommended low level of alcohol consumption is suboptimal It's easy to go crazy and that can increase their risk of heart disease," he says.