Does Alcohol Thin Your Blood? Short- And Long-Term Effects

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Does Alcohol Thin Your Blood?

Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M.D., MPH — Written by Stephanie Watson — Updated on September 28, 2018

Why it happens
How long do the effects last?
Can alcohol replace medication?
Can you drink alcohol while taking medication?
Circulatory health
Takeaway

Alcohol can thin your blood by reducing its natural ability to form clots. While this might sound beneficial, the risks associated with drinking alcohol outweigh any potential health benefits.

Alcohol acts as a blood thinner of sorts. It makes it harder for your blood to clot. This may lower your risk for the type of strokes caused by blockages in blood vessels.

Yet because of this effect, drinking alcohol could potentially increase your risk for the bleeding type of strokes — especially when you drink it in large quantities. For men, this means more than two drinks a day. For women, this is more than one drink a day. Alcohol use — especially in excess — can also pose other risks to your health.

Keep reading to learn more about this blood-thinning effect, how alcohol interacts with blood-thinning medications, and more.

How does alcohol thin the blood?

When you’re injured, blood cells called platelets rush to the injury site. These cells are sticky, and they clump together. Platelets also release proteins called clotting factors that form a plug to close the hole.

Clotting is beneficial when you’re injured. But sometimes, a blood clot can form in — or travel to — an artery that supplies your heart or brain with oxygen-rich blood. Clotting of the blood is called thrombosis.

When a clot blocks blood flow to your heart, it can cause a heart attack. If it blocks the blood flow to your brain, it can cause a stroke.

Alcohol interferes with the clotting process in a couple of ways:

It reduces the number of platelets in the blood, in part by interfering with blood cell production in the bone marrow.
It makes the platelets you do have less sticky.

Drinking a glass or two of wine each day might reduce your risk for heart disease and strokes caused by blockages in blood vessels (ischemic strokes) in much the same way that taking a daily aspirin can prevent strokes.

But having more than three alcoholic drinks daily could increase your risk for a type of stroke caused by bleeding in the brain (hemorrhagic strokes).

Is this a short-term effect?

In people who drink moderately, the effect of alcohol on platelets is short-lived.

According to the Mayo Clinic, moderate drinking is classified as follows:

For women of all ages: up to one drink per day
For men age 65 or older: up to one drink per day
For men younger than age 65: up to two drinks per day

Examples of one drink include:

a 12-ounce beer
a 5-ounce glass of wine
1.5 fluid ounces, or a shot, of liquor

But in people who drink heavily, there can be a rebound effect in which the bleeding risk increases, even after they’ve stopped drinking. Exceeding the recommended guidelines above is considered heavy drinking.

Can you drink alcohol instead of taking a blood thinner?

No. Blood thinners are drugs your doctor prescribes to prevent blood clots that can cause a heart attack or stroke. If your doctor has prescribed one of these medicines, it’s because you have heart disease or another condition that increases your risk for clots.

Alcohol isn’t safe to use as a blood thinner. Not only can it increase your chance of having a bleeding stroke, but in large quantities it also puts you at greater risk for:

injuries due to falls, motor vehicle accidents, and other types of accidents
sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) due to risky sexual behaviors
liver disease
depression
stomach bleeding
cancers of the breast, mouth, throat, liver, colon, and esophagus
birth defects and miscarriage when used during pregnancy
alcohol dependence or alcoholism

Can you drink alcohol while taking blood thinners?

Ask your doctor if it’s safe for you to drink alcohol while taking blood thinners. Both alcohol and blood thinners like warfarin (Coumadin) thin your blood. Taking both together could compound the anticoagulant effect and increase your risk of bleeding.

Alcohol might also slow down the rate at which your body breaks down and removes the blood-thinning drug. This can lead to a dangerous buildup of the drug in your body.

If you do drink alcohol while on blood thinners, do so in moderation. That means one drink a day for women and men age 65 and older. For men under age 65, up to two drinks a day is considered moderate.

Should you drink alcohol to help your circulation?

Drinking alcohol in moderation may have a protective effect on your blood vessels. Some research finds that alcohol increases levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL, aka “good cholesterol”). This healthy type of cholesterol helps protect your arteries and prevent the blood clots that can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Yet there are other, less risky ways to protect your arteries — for example, by eating a plant-based diet and exercising. The American Heart Association doesn’t recommend drinking alcohol solely to protect your blood vessels and improve your circulation.

The bottom line

If you’re going to drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Have no more than one or two drinks daily.

One drink is equal to:

12 ounces of beer
5 ounces of wine
1.5 ounces of vodka, rum, or other liquor

And if you have an underlying health condition such as diabetes or kidney disease, ask your doctor whether it’s safe for you to drink at all.

When it comes to the health of your blood vessels, have a conversation with your doctor. Ask if you’re at risk for heart disease or stroke. If so, find out what steps you can take to lower those risks.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Alcohol and heart health. (2015).http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyEating/Nutrition/Alcohol-and-Heart-Health_UCM_305173_Article.jsp#.WnHZ0GaZNo4
Alcohol units. (2015).https://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/alcohol/Pages/alcohol-units.aspx
American Academy of Neurology. (2012). Heavydrinking may lead to stroke earlier in life [Press release].https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-09/aaon-hdm090412.php
Appendix 9: Alcohol. Dietary Guidelines forAmericans - 2015-2020.https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/appendix-9/
Ballard HS. (1997). The hematologicalcomplications of alcoholism.https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh21-1/42.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.(2018). Fact sheets - alcohol use andyour health [Fact sheet].https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm
The clotting process. (n.d.).https://www.wfh.org/en/page.aspx?pid=635
Knapton M. (n.d.). Can I drink alcohol while I’mon warfarin?https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-matters-magazine/medical/ask-the-experts/wine-and-warfarin
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2017). Stroke.https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/stroke/symptoms-causes/syc-20350113
Moderate drinking may reduce heart disease risk.(2017).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/behindtheheadlines/news/2017-03-23-moderate-drinking-may-reduce-heart-disease-risk/
Mukamal KJ. (2005). Alcohol consumption andplatelet activation and aggregation among women and men: The FraminghamOffspring Study.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16269922
Renaud SC, et al. (1996). Effects of alcohol onplatelet functions [Abstract]. DOI:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0009898196062286
Weathermon R, et al. (1999). Alcohol andmedication interactions. DOI:https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh23-1/40-54.pdf
What are the risks? (n.d.).https://www.rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/How-much-is-too-much/Whats-the-harm/What-Are-The-Risks.aspx

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Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M.D., MPH — Written by Stephanie Watson — Updated on September 28, 2018

Does Alcohol Thin Your Blood? Short- And Long-Term Effects

Skin Care

How does alcohol thin the blood?

Is this a short-term effect?

Can you drink alcohol instead of taking a blood thinner?

Can you drink alcohol while taking blood thinners?

Should you drink alcohol to help your circulation?

The bottom line

How we reviewed this article:

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