No amount of alcohol.l is good for the human body, previous research has shown – and now a new study has linked it to increased mortality.
According to a study by Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Schmidt College of Medicine, over two decades – from 1999 to 2020 – alcohol-related The death toll nearly doubled.
Researchers analyzed data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Wide-Range Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WINDER), which found that alcohol-related deaths increased from 10.7 per 100,000 in 1999 to 21.6 per 100,000 in 2020. 100,000.
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The biggest increase – a fourfold increase – was seen in people aged 25 to 34.
The results were published in the American Journal of Medicine.
The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend no more than one drink per day for women and people over age 65, and no more than two drinks per day for men. (iStock)
“Health care providers And their patients should be aware that in the United States, as well as in most populations around the world, individuals who drink moderate to heavy amounts of alcohol have the highest risk of premature death and disease. “Study author Charles H. Heinekens, MD, a professor. of medicine at the FAU Schmidt College of Medicine, told Fox News Digital.
The leading causes of alcohol-related death were cardiovascular disease—mainly Heart attacks and strokes – as well as certain “common and serious cancers” as well as cirrhosis of the liver, Heinekens said.
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“Chronic, heavy alcohol consumption also contributes to hospitalizations in state facilities for a variety of harmful outcomes, including alcoholic cirrhosis and alcoholic dementia,” he added.
Obesity and diabetes also increased the risk of alcohol-related deaths, the study found.
What amount is harmful?
Amount of Alcohol consumption That can have a significant impact on mortality risk, Hennekens noted.
“The difference between light and moderate to heavy drinking can mean a big difference between preventing and causing premature mortality,” the researcher said. “Liver damage is an immediate effect of alcoholism.”
The study found that between 1999 and 2020, the number of alcohol-related deaths almost doubled. (iStock)
Dr. Ken Spielvogel, senior medical advisor at Carrara Treatment Wellness & Spa in Los Angeles, agrees that the increased risks of excessive alcohol consumption High blood pressure, strokeheart failure and other heart complications.
More than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men can have “dramatic harmful effects” – especially when combined with obesity and other diseases, he said.
The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend no more than one drink per day for women and people over age 65, and no more than two drinks per day for men.
Increase in alcohol-related deaths among women
Although men had the highest overall mortality rate, women saw “the largest proportional increase”, from 4.8 deaths per 100,000 in 1999 to 12 in 2020, according to the study’s findings.
Dr. Adam Scioli, chief medical officer of Caron Treatment Centers in Pennsylvania, said he was not surprised by the study’s results.
“Women progress more rapidly to develop alcohol use disorders and associated health outcomes.”
“These findings are consistent with what we’ve been seeing clinically for the past decade — an increase in serious illnesses and comorbidities related to alcohol use,” Scavelli, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital. .
This has been especially true. Among womenhe noted.
“Liver damage is an immediate effect of alcohol consumption,” said one of the researchers. (iStock)
“We have seen a significant increase in women – especially those between the ages of 20 and 55 – entering treatment at Caron for liver failure and on the liver transplant list,” said the expert.
According to Scioli, there has been a “dramatic increase” in alcohol consumption among women since the 90s, which accelerated during the pandemic.
He cited a number of potential drivers for the increase, including the rise of “alcohol culture”, the marketing of alcohol to women and the infiltration of alcohol into family spaces – all of which put women at greater risk of “significant health outcomes”. I put
Gender differences in the effects of alcohol
Scioli noted that women and men process alcohol differently because of their biology.
“Because women have lower activity of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)—an enzyme in the stomach and liver that helps break down alcohol—women Liver, heart and brain are more prone to alcohol effects,” said Dr.
Women are also more likely to suffer from it. Health effects Alcohol use sooner than men.
“We call this a ‘telescoping’ effect, meaning that women progress more quickly to develop alcohol use disorders and their associated health consequences,” Scioli said.
Researchers found that women are more likely than men to experience the health effects of alcohol use sooner. (iStock)
In particular, alcohol consumption puts women at higher risk of cirrhosis, alcohol-related liver diseases, heart failure, heart attack and stroke, she noted.
“Chronic alcohol use may also increase the risk Breast cancer and cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver and colon,” Scioli added.
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Spielvogel noted an increase in obesity in all age groups and all genders in the United States.
“The increase in alcohol consumption during the obesity epidemic combined with women experiencing more alcohol-related deaths,” he told Fox News Digital.
Possible limitations
Experts pointed out some potential limitations of the study.
“This is an analysis of cross-sectional data,” noted Spielvogel.
“Analyzing this mixture of populations in an unpredictable random fashion, which is the gold standard for scientific research, can have bias but this data It is not possible to analyse,” he added.
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“Analyzing multiple cultures and age groups can also lead to bias and inaccurate results.”
Scioli noted that the main limitation of the study is that it is based on Public health statistics – “Which means it may actually be an underrepresentation of the problem.”
A call for change
Based on the study’s findings, the researchers call for “tailored interventions” to help prevent alcohol-related deaths.
They also recommend additional research to help shape public health policies.
Experts call for early interventions to identify individuals in need of evaluation for a possible substance use disorder. (iStock)
“To reduce these risks, screening for alcohol use in primary care settings is essential,” Hennekens said.
Scioli agreed, urging early intervention by health care professionals to identify individuals, especially women, who have a drinking problem and refer them for possible evaluation. Substance use disorder.
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“We also need to make it easier and more acceptable for people to get the help they need,” he added.
“Finally, we need to normalize sobriety and provide greater support to those who do not drink.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association for comment.