Heavy drinking increases stroke risk

NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers said a study of Chinese men found that heavy drinking may increase the risk of stroke.

Tulane University researchers examined the relationship between alcohol consumption and stroke in a large, nationally representative sample of Chinese men.

The study, published in Annals of Neurology, defined heavy drinking as more than 21 drinks per week.

Dr. Lydia Bazzano, assistant professor of epidemiology at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, said heavy alcohol consumption can induce hypertension, and hypertension -- high blood pressure -- is the number one risk factor for a stroke of any type.

The research team focused on 64,338 men who participated in the 1991 China National Hypertension Survey. Between 1999 and 2000, the researchers followed up with male participants of the original study who had provided information on alcohol consumption, the report said.