<P> The International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization has classified alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen . </P> <P> Studies have shown that heavy drinkers put themselves at greater risk for heart disease and developing potentially fatal cardiac arrhythmias . Excessive alcohol consumption can cause higher blood pressure, increase cholesterol levels and weakened heart muscles . Studies have shown that moderate wine drinking can improve the balance of low - density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad" cholesterol) to high - density lipoprotein (HDL "good" cholesterol), which has been theorized as to clean up or remove LDL from blocking arteries . The main cause of heart attacks and the pain of angina is the lack of oxygen caused by blood clots and atheromatous plaque build up in the arteries . The alcohol in wine has anticoagulant properties that limits blood clotting by making the platelets in the blood less prone to stick together and reducing the levels of fibrin protein that binds them together . </P> <P> Professional cardiology associations recommend that people who are currently nondrinkers should not start drinking alcohol . </P> <P> One of the short - term effects of alcohol is impaired mental function, which can cause behavioral changes and memory impairment . Long - term effects of heavy drinking can inhibit new brain cell development and increase the risk for developing major depressive disorders . Studies have linked moderate alcohol consumption to lower risk of developing Alzheimer's and dementia though wine's role in this link is not yet fully understood . A 2009 study by Wake Forest University School of Medicine suggest that moderate alcohol consumption may help healthy adults ward off the risks of developing dementia but can accelerate declining memory for those already suffering from cognitive impairment . The reason for the potential positive benefit of moderate consumption is not yet identified and may even be unrelated to the alcohol but rather other shared lifestyle factors of moderate drinkers (such as exercise or diets). If it is the moderate consumption, researchers theorize that it may be alcohol's role in promoting the production of "good cholesterol" which prevents blood platelets from sticking together . Another potential role of alcohol in the body may be in stimulating the release of the chemical acetylcholine which influences brain function and memory . </P>

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