“Most of us will have overdone it with fatty foods and alcohol over Christmas. But you might not be fully aware of the detrimental effect alcohol can have on your body and heart.

Consuming too much alcohol can be damaging in the short term (‘binge drinking’) and in the long term. It can lead to conditions such as raised blood pressure and an increase in your weight, increased likelihood of a heart attack, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

The link between regularly drinking an excessive amount of alcohol and having high blood pressure is undoubtedly clear.

High blood pressure ( or hypertension) puts strain on the heart and can lead to cardiovascular disease (CVD), which in turn increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Cutting down or stopping drinking completely will help reduce the chances of you suffering cardiovascular disease significantly.”

Find more from Welsh Hearts (Wales, January 2020)