A new study reveals that consuming more than two alcoholic drinks a day during middle age can increase the risk of stroke by more than a third.

In the U.S., more than 795,000 people become victims of stroke, which is also responsible for 130,000 deaths every year. Well known risk factors of stroke are high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and high cholesterol.

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Past studies have already identified and determined that heavy alcohol consumption is an important risk factor for stroke. This study, however, is the first that shows stroke risk varies by age.

Pavla Kadlecová from the International Clinical Research Center of St. Anne's University Hospital in the Czech Republic and colleagues analyzed some 11,644 same sex twins from the Swedish Twin Registry.

From 1967 to 1970, participants less than 60 years of age answered dietary queries where the researchers gathered data based on their alcohol intake.

The team monitored the twins for 43 years until 2010 when the researchers finally analyzed their health over this period of time. The analysis included hospitalization and details about the cause of death including blood pressure, smoking habits and diabetes that all contribute to stroke risk.

During this period, nearly 30 percent of the participants had a stroke. Researchers classified the participants into three groups based on their alcohol habits. Light drinkers have half an alcoholic drink every day; moderate drinkers have two drinks a day and heavy drinkers have more than two drinks every day.

These findings are also in line with the American Heart Association's recommendations that a male shouldn't drink two more alcoholic drinks a day and a female shouldn't consume more than one.

The team discovered the participants identified as heavy drinkers were 34 percent more likely to experience stroke compared to light drinkers. Heavy drinkers in their 50s and 60s are also likely to suffer a stroke five years earlier than light drinkers.

These findings were published in journal, Stroke, from the American Heart Association.

TagsStudy: More than Two Cocktails a Day Can Increase Stroke Risk by 34 Percent, stroke risk, alcoholic consumption, stroke risk more than two alcoholic drinks