No amount of alcohol is good for the human body, previous research has shown – and now a new study has linked it to a rising number of deaths.
Over two decades — from 1999 to 2020 — the number of alcohol-related deaths nearly doubled, according to a study from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Schmidt College of Medicine.
Researchers analyzed data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Wide Web for Epidemiological Research (WONDER), finding that the alcohol death rate went from 10.7 per 100,000 in 1999 to 21.6 per 100,000 in 2020.
The biggest increase – a fourfold increase – was seen in people between the ages of 25 and 34.
The results were published in The American Journal of Medicine.
“Healthcare providers and their patients should be aware that in the US, as well as in most populations worldwide, individuals who consume moderate to heavy amounts of alcohol have the highest risk of mortality and morbidity. premature,” study author Charles H. Hennekens. MD, a professor of medicine at the FAU Schmidt College of Medicine, told Fox News Digital.
The leading causes of alcohol-related deaths were cardiovascular disease — mainly heart attacks and strokes — as well as some “common and serious cancers” as well as cirrhosis of the liver, Hennekens said.
“Chronic and heavy alcohol consumption is also a major contributor to hospitalizations in state institutions due to a range of harmful outcomes, including alcoholic cirrhosis and alcoholic dementia,” he added.
What amount is harmful?
The amount of alcohol consumed can have a significant impact on mortality risk, Hennekens noted.
“The difference between drinking small and moderate to heavy amounts of alcohol can mean a big difference between preventing and causing premature deaths,” the researcher said. “Liver damage is an immediate effect of alcohol consumption.”
Dr. Ken Spielvogel, senior medical advisor for Carrara Treatment Wellness & Spa in Los Angeles, agreed that larger amounts of alcohol increase the risk of hypertension, stroke, heart failure and other cardiac complications.
Anything more than one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men can have “dramatic deleterious effects,” he said — especially when combined with obesity and other comorbidities.
The US Dietary Guidelines recommend no more than one drink per day for women and anyone over the age of 65, and no more than two drinks per day for men.
Increase in alcohol-related deaths among women
Although men had the highest death rates overall, women saw “greater proportional increases,” according to the study’s findings, with deaths going from 4.8 per 100,000 in 1999 to 12 in 2020.
Dr. Adam Scioli, chief medical officer at Caron Treatment Centers in Pennsylvania, said he was not surprised by the study’s results.
“These findings are consistent with what we’ve seen clinically for the past decade — increases in severe disease and comorbidity associated with alcohol use,” Scioli, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital .
This has been especially true for women, he noted.
“We have seen a significant increase in women – particularly those between the ages of 20 and 55 – entering treatment at Caron for liver failure and on the liver transplant list,” the expert said.
There has been a “dramatic increase” in alcohol consumption among women since the 1990s, according to Scioli, which accelerated during the pandemic.
He cited a number of potential factors behind this increase, including the rise of “wine 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 consequences “. .
Gender differences in the effects of alcohol
Women and men process alcohol differently because of their biology, Scioli noted.
“Because women have less activity of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) – an enzyme in the stomach and liver that helps break down alcohol – women are more susceptible to the effects of alcohol on the liver, heart and brain,” the doctor said. .
Women are also more likely to suffer the health effects of alcohol use sooner than men.
“We call it the ‘telescoping’ effect, meaning that women progress more quickly to develop alcohol use disorder and its health consequences,” Scioli said.
Specifically, alcohol use puts women at greater risk of cirrhosis, alcohol-related liver disease, congestive heart failure, heart attack and stroke, he noted.
“Chronic alcohol use can also increase the risk of breast cancer and cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver and colon,” Scioli added.
Spielvogel also noted the rise in obesity in the US across all age groups and all genders.
“Combining an increase in alcohol consumption on top of an obesity epidemic exposes women to higher alcohol-related mortality,” he told Fox News Digital.
Possible limitations
Experts pointed out some potential limitations of the study.
“It’s a cross-sectional data analysis,” Spielvogel noted.
“There may be biases in analyzing this population mixture in a non-prospective randomized manner, which is the gold standard for scientific research, but not possible for analyzing these data,” he continued.
“Conducting an analysis of a variety of cultures and age groups can lead to biases and inaccurate conclusions as well.”
Scioli noted that the main limitation of the study is that it is based on public health data — “which means it may actually be an underrepresentation of the problem.”
A call for change
Based on the findings from the study, the researchers call for “tailored interventions” to help curb alcohol-related deaths.
They also recommend additional research to help shape public health policy.
“To mitigate these risks, screening for alcohol use in primary care settings is essential,” Hennekens said.
Scioli agreed, calling for early intervention by health care professionals to identify individuals, especially women, who may have drinking problems and refer them for evaluation for a possible substance use disorder.
“We also need to make it easier and more affordable for individuals to get the help they need,” he added.
“Finally, we need to normalize sobriety and provide greater support for people who don’t drink alcohol.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association for comment.
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