Research from a Norweigan study reveals that low-income people who drink daily are more likely to suffer from heart attacks and other forms of heart disease.

The Alcohol Consumption Study

The researchers divided their subjects by economic class and education before commencing the study. They discovered that people in middle and upper social classes who drink every day don’t suffer as much as the more unfortunate steady drinkers; in fact, some of them were healthier in general than the teetotalers.

In fact, in this study, the wealthier patients came out on top. The more money a patient had, the better their health. Researchers believe that this is just because people in the more affluent groups have the luxury of living healthier lives.

Look at it this way: people with money don’t worry about copays when they go to doctors. They go to doctors regularly and have the ability to pay whatever bills result. For many wealthy people, shopping (spending money) is not a luxury, but a hobby instead.

Low-Income People Suffer More

Time and time again, research has proven that people from socioeconomic classes suffer more than their more well-off peers when it comes to alcohol abuse. In Norway, these patients are more likely to be admitted to the ER for alcohol poisoning, if they decide to drink at all. A surprising number of the lower-income population in that country drinks at all. They are also more likely to be at risk of cardiovascular disease if they drink daily.

More impoverished people also have other stressors in life that may contribute to both drinking and heart disease. For example, poor people often smoke more cigarettes than wealthier classes. Drinking with high blood pressure can cause troubles with the eyes as well as the heart, and drinking with diabetes be incredibly dangerous.

More research is needed to understand how and why the needy drink, but it’s good to know that they can get free help when they need it in other countries. In the United States, poorer people with alcohol use disorders must usually get Medicaid and wait on a list for their treatment. Access is a constant problem in opioid-plagued counties and cities.