My husband suffers from iron overload in the blood. He used to drink heavily. He drank both whiskey and wine. Now a maximum of one drink a day. Do you think it makes any difference what kind of spirits he drinks with regard to iron absorption?
Lidija
Leonard Hofstra, cardiologist
Hi Lidia,
Iron overload, also called hemochromatosis, can also have an effect on the heart. In addition to the liver and pancreas, iron can also accumulate in the heart.
In principle, the question about alcohol is independent of any iron overload in the heart. It is true that in case of heart failure it is better not to drink alcoholic beverages. The same is of course true for the liver; this organ has to break down the alcohol. In any case, the Health Council’s standard on alcohol intake has already been tightened considerably, especially because the organs that come into direct contact with alcohol have an increased chance of developing cancer. In principle, the type of alcoholic drink makes no difference within this standard.
Do you also have a question? Then ask one of our experts. Always go to your doctor with urgent questions, the experts are not the right person for that. They also do not diagnose. You can find the other conditions here.
dr. Leonard Hofstra works as a cardiologist at Cardiology Centers Netherlands in the Utrecht location. Here he sees thousands of patients a year, who are usually referred by their GP. He is also very interested in the impact of lifestyle on cardiovascular disease.
