**4.5 Moderation of alcohol consumption**

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define alcohol moderation as having up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men. The definition refers to the amount consumed on any single day and is not intended as an average over several days [22]. However, it is not recommended that that people who do not drink alcohol start drinking for any reason. Excessive alcohol intake includes binge drinking, heavy drinking and any alcohol use during pregnancy. Binge drinking corresponds to five or more drinks in men and four or more drinks in women on a single occasion, generally within two hours; while heavy drinking is defined as consuming 15 drinks or more per week for men and eight drinks or more per week in women. In 2019, top nine African countries with high alcohol consumption in liters per capita were in the order of Nigeria, Eswatini, South Africa, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Ghana and Morocco [23]. Excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing heart disease by increasing BP and weakening heart muscles [24].
