In a new study, researchers find that there is no safe level of drinking alcohol.
Alcohol use patterns vary widely by country and by sex, the average consumption per drinker, and the attributable disease burden.
Globally, more than 2 billion people were current drinkers in 2016; 63% were male.
In 2016, nearly 3 million deaths globally were attributed to alcohol use, including 12 percent of deaths in males between the ages of 15 and 49.
The current study is part of the annual Global Burden of Disease (GBD). It assesses alcohol-related health outcomes and patterns between 1990 and 2016 for 195 countries and territories and by age and sex.
This study used 694 data sources on individual and population-level alcohol consumption, along with 592 prospective and retrospective studies on the risk of alcohol use.
More than 500 GBD collaborators, such as researchers, academics, and others from more than 40 nations contributed to the study.
The researchers used data on all alcohol-related deaths generally and related health outcomes to determine their conclusions.
The study does not distinguish between beer, wine, and liquor due to a lack of evidence when estimating the disease burden.
In their analysis, ”average consumption” refers to a standard drink, defined in the study as 10 grams of pure alcohol, consumed by a person daily, about the equivalent of:
A small glass of red wine (100 ml or 3.4 fluid ounces) at 13% alcohol by volume;
A can or bottle of beer (375 ml or 12 fluid ounces) at 3.5% alcohol by volume; or
A shot of whiskey or other spirits (30 ml or 1.0 fluid ounces) at 40% alcohol by volume.
The results show that alcohol contributes to 23 health outcomes, including:
Cardiovascular diseases: atrial fibrillation and flutter, hemorrhagic stroke, ischemic stroke, hypertensive heart disease, ischemic heart disease, and alcoholic cardiomyopathy;
Cancers: breast, colorectal, liver, esophageal, larynx, lip and oral cavity, and nasal;
Other non-communicable diseases: cirrhosis of the liver due to alcohol use, diabetes, epilepsy, pancreatitis, and alcohol use disorders;
Communicable diseases: lower respiratory infections and tuberculosis;
Intentional injuries: interpersonal violence and self-harm;
Unintentional injuries: exposure to mechanical forces; poisonings; fire, heat, and hot substances; drowning; and other unintentional injuries; and
Transportation-related injuries.
The findings are consistent with other recent research and show clear and convincing correlations between drinking and premature death, cancer, and cardiovascular problems. Zero alcohol consumption minimizes the overall risk of health loss.
The researchers suggest the myth that one or two drinks a day are good for you is just that—a myth. This study shatters that myth.
Dr. Emmanuela Gakidou of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, is the senior author of the study.
Max Griswold is senior researcher and lead author.
The study is published in the international medical journal The Lancet.
Copyright © 2018 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
Source: The Lancet.
