Alcohol

After a stroke or TIA (transient ischaemic attack), avoid alcohol for at least four weeks. Keep your alcohol consumption to a minimum after this. Alcohol raises blood pressure, cholesterol and weight, increasing your stroke and heart attack risks. 

To enhance your recovery:


• drink responsibly 
• monitor how much you are drinking
• follow a healthy lifestyle

Avoid alcohol after a stroke

Don’t drink alcohol for at least the first four weeks after you have been discharged from hospital. After four weeks, keep your alcohol consumption low and ideally don’t drink alcohol at all. This will help lower your risk of another stroke.

If you choose to drink alcohol, we advise you to drink as little as possible. Always keep your consumption well below the HSE guidelines:

What is a standard drink?

A standard drink is a specific quantity: ten grams of pure alcohol. It is a unit of measurement used in Ireland.

• 1 pint = 2 standard drinks
• 1 bottled beer = 1 standard drink
• 1 small glass of wine (100ml) = 1 standard drink
• 1 spirit – pub single measure = 1 standard drink
• 1 bottle of wine (750ml) = 7 standard drinks

Why should I avoid drinking alcohol?

Alcohol can raise your blood pressure and cholesterol and contribute to weight gain. This can trigger an irregular heartbeat which increases the risk of a stroke or a heart attack, as well as type 2 diabetes. Drinking six or more units of alcohol regularly increases your risk of having another stroke or TIA.

High blood pressure (hypertension) is the leading cause of heart attack and stroke in Ireland. Regularly drinking more than the low-risk guidelines raises your blood pressure. This can affect the muscles in your blood vessels, causing them to narrow. This means your heart has to work harder to pump blood around the body.

High blood pressure can also affect the speed of your heartbeat. It can cause the heart muscles to weaken and your heart pumping power to become less efficient (cardiomyopathy). The more alcohol you drink, the higher the risk of developing high blood pressure. If you drink regularly, you are at risk, particularly if you are over the age of 35.

If you are overweight, you are more likely to have a heart attack than a person who is at a healthy weight. Alcohol is high in calories and can also contain a lot of sugar. This can contribute to weight gain and make losing weight and exercising harder. Reducing the amount you drink can help you lose weight, which is good for your heart health.

Alcohol and medication

Alcohol can have harmful effects on some medications such as blood thinners and anti-depressants. Make sure you ask your pharmacist or GP (family doctor) if it is safe for you to drink alcohol.

Binge drinking

Binge drinking is when you drink faster than your liver is able to process alcohol. This slows down your liver’s ability to complete its other vital functions. Drinking six or more units in a single sitting is considered binge drinking.

Tips to reduce drinking

• Practice mindful drinking – be aware of why and how much alcohol you are drinking and its impact on you.
• Alternate each alcoholic drink with a glass of water. 
• Switch to an alcohol-free alternatives. 
• Order a free Get The Facts Pack from DrinkAware from the link at the bottom of this page. 
• Use the DrinkAware Drinks Calculator to check your drinking against the low-risk weekly guidelines.

Benefits of not drinking:

• improved mental health
• better long term physical health
• better sleep
• more money in your pocket
• weight loss
• improved blood pressure control
• more regulated blood sugar levels

Other information

Top tips

Useful contacts

Useful links

Drinkaware | Sober Curious and Mindful Drinking

Drinkaware | Drinks calculator

Irish Heart Foundation | Cut down on your alcohol

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