Alcohol intake can lead to increased risk of 60 diseases

A study carried out by the University of Oxford, which analyzed data from half a million men in China, suggests that alcohol consumption can increase the risk of developing several diseases.

In addition to the already known diseases, such as liver cirrhosis, strokes and cancer, the study revealed that the Excessive alcohol consumption may also be associated with an increased risk of developing gout and cataract.

The same study revealed that alcohol consumption may also be associated with other disorders that, before, were not directly linked to this practice.

Interestingly, some of these associations were found even in individuals who consumed amounts of alcohol below established health guidelines such as those of the NHS (National Health System UK).

This indicates that even moderate alcohol consumption can pose health risks in several areas.

Should alcohol not be consumed?

As mentioned by experts, the study findings highlight that alcohol consumption is associated with a wider range of diseases, a much more severe case than science could think.

These findings are concerning, considering that excessive alcohol consumption is estimated to be a contributing factor to around 3 million deaths worldwide annually.

It is true that the position of the World Health Organization (WHO) is that no amount of alcohol is safe to consume. This recommendation is based on evidence that alcohol consumption is associated with a variety of health risks.

Despite WHO evidence, there are studies and research exploring the possible health benefits of moderate amounts of alcohol, such as a glass of wine or a beer a day.

Some of these studies suggest that light to moderate alcohol consumption may be associated with a reduced risk of certain diseases, such as heart disease.

However, the study carried out by Oxford researchers in collaboration with Chinese academics contributes to the understanding of the effects of alcohol consumption on health, identifying a wide range of diseases associated with this habit.

These findings are valuable to raise awareness about the health risks related to alcohol consumption and to inform public health policies.

The Oxford researchers involved analyzing a large Chinese database containing health information on more than 512,000 adults, with an average age of 52.

According to the results, approximately one-third of men reported drinking alcohol regularly, which was defined as at least once a week. On the other hand, the rate of regular alcohol consumption among women was only 2%.

Women were used as a control group to investigate whether the observed increased risk of disease in men it was related specifically to alcohol consumption and not to other factors such as genetics.

The researchers used hospital records over a 12-year period to investigate how alcohol consumption affected the risk of developing 207 different diseases. These illnesses included medical conditions as well as transportation accidents and injuries.

This approach allows a comprehensive analysis of the effects of alcohol in several areas of health, both in terms of specific medical illnesses as well as adverse events such as accidents and injuries.

Study result

The findings of the study carried out in China and published in the journal Nature Medicine revealed that alcohol consumption increases the risk of 60 diseases in men.

Among these diseases, 28 were previously known and established by the World Health Organization (WHO) as alcohol-related, including cancers of the liver, intestine and rectum.

The researchers identified 33 diseases that had not previously been established to be related to alcohol consumption. These diseases included conditions such as gout, cataracts, some fractures and gastric ulcers.

They noted that daily drinking, heavy drinking, or drinking outside of meals particularly increased the risks of certain alcohol-related illnesses.

Furthermore, a dose-dependent relationship was identified, meaning that the risk of having an alcohol-related disease increased with the amount of alcohol consumed. For every four drinks a day, the risk of developing an alcohol-related illness increased by 14%.

These results reinforce the importance of adopting healthy and moderate alcohol consumption patterns. Consuming alcohol responsibly, limiting the amount and avoiding risky behavior, can help reduce the risks associated with alcohol consumption.

According to Iona Millwood, associate professor at Oxford Population Health and senior author of the study, there is a growing understanding that harmful alcohol consumption is one of the main risk factors for health problems, both nationally and global.

According to Puja Darbari, managing director of the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking, the main analysis of the study has a limitation significant, since it does not distinguish between light or moderate consumption and heavy consumption, in addition to not including a comparison with individuals who do not consume alcohol.

Darbari points out that the average consumption among the study participants was 280 g per week, which represents more than double the guidelines set in the UK and also twice the guidelines for men in the US United.

60 health conditions whose risk increases with alcohol consumption

1. Tuberculosis
2. laryngeal cancer
3. esophageal cancer
4. liver cancer
5. uncertain neoplasm
6. colon cancer
7. Lung cancer
8. rectal cancer
9. another cancer
10. Cancer of the lip, oral cavity and pharynx
11. stomach cancer
12. Other anemias
13. Purpura and other bleeding conditions
14. Other metabolic disorders
15. Diabetes Mellitus
16. Less common psychiatric and behavioral conditions combined
17. Epilepsy
18. Transient cerebral ischemic attacks
19. Cataract
20. Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis
21. cardiomyopathy
22. intracerebral hemorrhage
23. Sequelae of cerebrovascular disease
24. hypertensive heart disease
25. Essential (primary) hypertension
26. cerebral infarction
27. Complications of heart disease
28. Trace, unspecified
29. Occlusion and stenosis of cerebral arteries
30. Occlusion and stenosis of precerebral arteries
31. Other cerebrovascular diseases
32. chronic ischemic heart disease
33. Combined less common circulatory diseases
34. Chronic bronchitis unspecified
35. Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
36. Pneumonia
37. alcoholic liver disease
38. Liver fibrosis and cirrhosis
39. Other inflammatory liver diseases
40. Abscess of anal and rectal regions
41. gastroesophageal reflux disease
42. Gastric ulcer
43. Other diseases of the digestive system
44. Other liver diseases
45. pancreatitis
46. Other local infections (skin/subcutaneous tissue)
47. Osteonecrosis
48. Drop
49. Other arthrosis
50. Abnormal results of function studies
51. Malaise and fatigue
52. Other ill-defined/unspecified causes of mortality
53. Unknown/unspecified causes of morbidity
54. Shoulder and arm fracture
55. femur fracture
56. Fracture of rib(s)/sternum/thoracic spine
57. Less common injuries, poisoning and other external causes combined
58. Intentionally self-harm
59. falls
60. transport accidents