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The extra red blood cells make your blood thicker than normal. As a result, blood clots can form more easily. These clots can block blood flow through your arteries and veins, which can cause a heart attack or stroke. Thicker blood also doesn't flow as quickly to your body as normal blood.
However, although alcohol can increase the chances of thread veins, experts say they can also be caused by too much sun, smoking, or by rosacea, a skin condition which causes a red nose and face. 1  Soaring numbers of men are having unsightly thread veins - caused by drinking, smoking and sun exposure - removed.