does anyone know what influence drinking alcohol has on the heart? is it just the blood pressure or is there more that drinking can do to the heart?

Drinking a moderate amount of alcohol, for example 2 glasses of wine each day or the equivalent, may be beneficial for atherosclerosis / fatty plaque build-up in the arteries. However, large amounts of alcohol over a prolonged period of time can cause dilated cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure, which are serious and irreversible.

not sure about amounts of wine. But what if you drink 3 beers every other day? is that to much?

It can also cause triglycerides to become too high. I would ask your doctor but from all that I've learned 3 beers every other day is probably not very good on the triglyceride level and is hard on the liver.

i never thought 3 beers every other day was a big thing at all.

HEAVY drinking over years has a strong tendency to cause cardiomyopathy which is a slow killing of the musculature of the heart.

STEADY light drinking, like a drink a day for women, 3 for men has been shown to be healthy. Of course that's NOT 3 martinis;)...more like one stiff one made with 4 ounces of gin. But if you can do 3 beers, or 15 ounces of wine a day, that's good for the heart's blood vessels (male).