Alcohol Affects Left, Right Heart Chambers Differently, University of Siena Study

The left and right ventricles of the heart have very different reactions to small amounts of alcohol, a new study finds. Researchers in Italy examined 64 healthy volunteers in their 20s after they drank a small amount of red wine and an equal amount of fruit juice. After drinking the wine, participants' left ventricular function decreased, according to the findings. The left ventricle receives oxygen-rich blood from the left atrium of the heart and pumps it into the aorta, or the main artery of the body, which supplies tissues with oxygen.