Healthcare (Commonwealth Union) – Alcohol consumption has been a part of human culture for thousands of years, but its impact on health is a complex and often controversial topic. While moderate alcohol intake has been linked to certain health benefits, excessive drinking can lead to numerous health problems and even death.
On the positive side, studies have shown that moderate alcohol consumption, particularly red wine, can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. This is believed to be due to the presence of antioxidants like resveratrol, which can improve cholesterol levels and blood vessel function.
However, the negative effects of excessive alcohol consumption far outweigh any potential benefits. Heavy drinking can lead to liver damage, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. It also increases the risk of developing cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and breast. Alcohol is a known to have neurotoxic effects that can damage brain cells, leading to cognitive decline and memory problems. Excessive drinking is also associated with a higher risk of accidents, injuries, and violent behavior.
Various studies have focused on alcohol consumption and its impact on health. Throughout the years these various studies have offered new insights associated with alcohol consumption and a study even found genetic associations with alcohol consumption
However there has been little doubt on the negative effects of alcohol addiction which is a serious issue that affects millions of people across the globe. Alcoholism can destroy lives, families, and careers, and often requires professional treatment to overcome. The social and economic costs of alcohol abuse are staggering, with billions of dollars spent each year on healthcare, law enforcement, and lost productivity.
Findings recently released from a UK investigation of elderly individuals who consume alcohol revealed that even moderate drinking was linked to increased death rates among seniors with health issues or socioeconomic disadvantages. The reduced mortality observed for those who preferred wine and only drank during meals needs more research, as it could be attributed to healthier habits, slower alcohol absorption, or non-alcoholic components in beverages.
Rosario Ortolá, MD, PhD, from the Autonomous University of Madrid, and her colleagues suggest that alcohol consumption might have a more significant impact on adults who have socioeconomic and health-related risk factors. This could be due to their increased morbidity, higher usage of medications that interact with alcohol, and diminished tolerance.
On the other hand, some research has shown that alcohol consumption, particularly in light amounts, might have positive effects on unhealthy aging or frailty. This implies that the protective benefits of such drinking patterns could be more pronounced in individuals with poor health, they noted in JAMA Network Open.
The researchers identified correlations between high-risk alcohol consumption and an elevated risk of mortality from all causes (HR = 1.33; 95% CI, 1.24-1.42), cancer-related deaths (HR = 1.39; 95% CI, 1.26-1.53), and cardiovascular mortality (HR = 1.21; 95% CI, 1.04-1.41) compared to occasional drinking.
In addition, they found that moderate-risk drinking was linked to an increased risk of death from all causes (HR = 1.1; 95% CI, 1.03-1.18) and cancer mortality (HR = 1.15; 95% CI, 1.05-1.27). The analysis further revealed an association between low-risk drinking and a higher likelihood of cancer mortality (HR = 1.11; 95% CI, 1.01-1.22) among all participants.
The researchers highlighted that a preference for wine—where 80% of the alcohol consumed is wine—and consuming it with meals showed “minor protective effects” against mortality. However, they noted that this trend was observed only among drinkers with socioeconomic or health-related risk factors.
They further mentioned that favoring wine and drinking during meals reduced mortality rates linked to high-risk, moderate-risk, and low-risk alcohol consumption.
