Published: Feb. 20, 2025 at 5:05 PM PST
Watch the video on the KKTV 11 News website.
Steve Carleton, Chief Clinical Officer at Porch Light Health, spoke with KKTV 11 News about how drugs and alcohol affect the heart during Heart Health Month.
Aspen Andrews
I want to thank you for joining us at the 11 Alert Desk today. I’m Aspen Andrews, Digital Content Producer at 11 News, and I am here with Steve Carleton, Chief Clinical Officer at Porch Light Health. And with February being Heart Health Month, it’s a great time to discuss heart health as well as the effects that alcohol and drugs can have on the heart. So I’m going to go ahead and start. So could you tell me a little bit, Steve, how does alcohol affect your heart?
Steve Carleton
Yeah, hi, Aspen. Good to be with you. It’s interesting. So alcohol impacts the heart in a couple of different ways, depending on whether it’s alcohol or illicit substances. With alcohol in particular, what’s counterintuitive about it is alcohol increases people’s heart rate, right? And We think about alcohol as a sedative and something we do to relax, but physiologically, it increases your heart rate. And over time, with chronic use, especially, it can start to weaken that heart muscle and cause damage.
Aspen Andrews
And on the other end, how can substances and drugs affect your heart?
Steve Carleton
Yeah, great question. So with substances, if you’re talking about stimulants, obviously, we know stimulants beat people up and you have the same effect, but probably more pronounced than with alcohol. With stimulants, they really are hard on that heart muscle. Your heart is pounding if people are using cocaine or methampheamine. And so cardiac risk and heart attack and things like that are very much a risk With opiates, opiates slow your heart rate. So opiates are a respiratory depressant. So if you’re taking opiates and other types of sedatives, that can slow your heart rate and people can stop breathing. And on the other end, with things like opioids and fentanyl, if people are IV users, IV drug use can cause infections in the heart and lead to disastrous consequences.
Aspen Andrews
And when it comes to both alcohol and substances, why exactly can they affect your heart?
Steve Carleton
Well, because your heart’s a muscle, right? At the end of the day, and anything you put in your body is going to have an effect, right? And so you should think about substances, alcohol and other illicit substances, the same way you would chocolate cake. We know that chocolate cake is delicious. It’s fun to eat. It’s great to do when you’re celebrating somebody’s birthday. But to eat chocolate cake every day, all day, every day would not be a good idea. And so when you’re thinking about substances using that same type of metric, if you’re having one or two, knowing that that’s not something that’s going to be good for you. We used to think that alcohol was good for cholesterol and good for heart health. And recently, what we found from decades of research is that there’s no safe amount of alcohol. There’s no amount of alcohol that has any healthy benefits to you. And So think about it like chocolate cake. And how often would you do that?
Aspen Andrews
Exactly. And I know, of course, there are some people who might be struggling or having issues with this. So could you give us some advice for anyone who might be struggling or just want to strengthen their heart health as a whole?
Steve Carleton
Yeah, absolutely. I think people don’t often think about just what is reducing consumption look like and what are healthy breaks look like? What are your limits for alcohol consumption. Oftentimes, people just drift in and out of drinking, especially, and they don’t sit down and say, what is acceptable to me in my lifestyle and what’s not acceptable? And noticing when you’re exceeding those limits and bringing it back to a baseline. So I think that’s a really good idea. And if you’re worried about it, seeking professional help. Go talk to a counselor, go talk to a therapist, talk to somebody objective that can give you advice where can be open and honest without fear of judgment.
Aspen Andrews
That makes sense. And I know we talked a little bit about for yourself who might need some help, but what about if a loved one has issues with maybe drinking or taking substances or just struggles with mental health as a whole, how do you think you can bring it up to that loved one?
Steve Carleton
Absolutely. So when you think about approaching somebody that you’re worried about, set and setting are the most important thing. So if you’re deciding to have a conversation with a loved one about their use, you’re worried that it’s getting more intense. Don’t have that conversation when they’re under the influence. That’s not a good time to do that. Pick a time that’s going to be calm and relaxing. Lead with compassion, not judgment. Using those old therapist I statements, I am concerned about you. Here is what I have observed is different about you lately, and I would like to help you with this. Leading with that so it’s not coming cross judgmental. And people are naturally going to be defensive in those conversations. And if you can just roll with that, if you can not react to it when people are getting defensive, let them absorb it. I think those are some quick tips on how to facilitate those kinds of conversations. And then lastly, just not repeating yourself, not having it be a topic for conversation every time you see that person. People need time to absorb.
Aspen Andrews
Yes, that’s very helpful. Well, thank you. And is there anything else that you would like to tell us about Porch Light Health and Heart Health Month as a whole?
Steve Carleton
Yeah, for Heart Health Month, I think people out there can know we have a Drinking Less program. Where people can come in and do four brief therapy sessions. You don’t have to go through a long paperwork process. You don’t have to go through a long history process. You can come in and you can dive in with a therapist and talk about your relationship with alcohol. Concurrently, you can see one of our medical providers. There are medications that help people with cravings and that are proven to help reduce the amount of alcohol you’re drinking. And so I think Porchside is a great option for people looking to do that.
Aspen Andrews
Thank you. Also for those who might want to learn more, how can we find you?
Steve Carleton
So on online, porchsidehealth. Com, or our 1-800 number is 866-M-A-T-S-T-A-T, Matt Stat. 866 M-A-T-S-T-A-T, Matt Statt, 866.
Aspen Andrews
. Thank you so much, Steve. I appreciate you for taking the time to talk to me this afternoon and give our viewers a little bit of insight as it is Heart Health Month. Thank you so much.
Steve Carleton
My pleasure. Thank you, Aspen.
