Can drinking a lot of water help prevent heart disease? How does drinking a lot of water affect health? Does drinking a little water hurt the heart? New research findings show that drinking plenty of water reduces the risk of heart problems such as heart failure due to low blood sodium concentrations. The findings analyzed by the scientists suggest that people who drank water at a lower dose were at greater risk for heart failure. The findings of the study showed that people who consumed little water had high sodium levels in their blood.
The findings of this new study were published in the Journal of the European Society of Cardiology. Dr. Natalia Dmitriva, one of the study’s leaders, notes that research shows that maintaining a good fluid level in the body can prevent or at least reduce changes in the heart, which cause heart failure. And take initiative and change drinking habits, if we notice that our drinking quantity is insufficient.
Drinking less increases the risk of heart failure
Various recommendations regarding drinking water daily for an adult range from a recommendation for drinking 1.6 liters per day and 2.1 liters per day for women and between two liters and three liters per day for men.
A recent study published in the Journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) delves into a possible new cause for the development of heart failure: water drinking habits over the years. According to the study, based on 25-year follow-up data, many of the people who suffered from heart failure had higher levels of sodium in their blood, although still in the range now considered the norm. The researchers believe the reasons for this lie in the differences in water drinking habits between the participants.
The study findings are part of the ARIC project to collect data related to atherosclerosis in the United States. Data were collected from 15,792 adults aged 44 to 66. Participants were healthy and eligible to participate in the study at baseline and their data were compared during the study for subsequent testing.
The study data showed that drinking little water and a condition of chronic dehydration i.e. low water drinking levels leading to dehydration frequently raised the level of sodium in the blood of those who drank little.
The scientists found that different levels of sodium were linked to heart failure. While the normal range of sodium in the blood is between 135 and 145 units per liter those whose sodium levels are in the upper levels of this range between 145-143 units per liter are at a 39% increased risk of heart failure. This is in relation to people who were characterized by low levels of sodium within the norm range of 142-135 units per liter.