You Might Know This Already, But Another Warning Won't Hurt

After conducting several studies, a group of researchers from the American Society of Hypertensions said that heavy drinking can cause high blood pressure, stiff arteries and rigid heart muscles in men, boosting their risk of having heart attacks and stroke.

The definition of heavy drinking was placed as drinking up to 21 alcoholic drinks per week.

Researchers also said that once a heart becomes enlarged, as an effect to excessive alcohol consumption, it is difficult to reverse the condition because it has already been overtaxed. And prior studies have suggested that people with enlarged hearts are five to six times more likely to have heart attacks.

Earlier studies have shown that moderate drinking, on the other hand, has been seen to have good heart benefits.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer globally. According to the World Health Organization, heart disease killed 17.5 million people in 2005, and that number is expected to rise to nearly 20 million by 2015.