India, Nov. 9 -- Heavy alcohol consumption may lead to more severe and earlier brain bleeds by damaging small blood vessels in the brain, according to a study from investigators at Mass General Brigham published in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Researchers reviewed data from 1,600 patients treated for non-traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage at Massachusetts General Hospital between 2003 and 2019. About 7% of the patients reported drinking three or more alcoholic drinks per day.

People who drank heavily experienced brain bleeds at a younger age - an average of 64, compared with 75 for those who did not drink - and had hemorrhages that were about 70% larger, the study found. They were also twice as likely to ...