Alcohol is a leading risk factor for death and disease worldwide, and is associated with nearly one in 10 deaths in people aged 15-49 years old, according to a Global Burden of Disease study published in The Lancet that estimates levels of alcohol use and health effects in 195 countries between 1990 to 2016.
Alcohol Effects
Health and social effects of alcohol
Subcategories
Teen Drinking Linked to Increased Prostate Cancer Risk
Compared with non-drinkers, men who consumed at least seven drinks per week during adolescence (ages 15-19) had three times the odds of being diagnosed with clinically significant prostate cancer.
Alcohol-Related Cirrhosis More Serious
Alcohol-related cirrhosis patients are sicker, costlier and often female. More than one-third of cirrhosis cases are related to alcohol, a seven-year national study of more than 100 million privately insured people has found.
Intoxication Increases Risk of Domestic Violence
Intoxicated, heavy drinkers have a tendency to act rashly in response to negative emotions, which can intensify the risk for intimate partner aggression, according to a study by Georgia State University and Purdue University.
Alcohol Increases Risk of Digestive Cancers
Citizens across the EU are consuming an average of two alcoholic drinks per day, placing drinkers at a 21% increased risk of developing colorectal cancer, in addition to other digestive cancers, a report finds.
Alcohol's Health Benefits Overstated?
The benefits of light alcohol consumption, as well as the risks associated with not drinking at all, might not be as great as previously thought, according to Penn State researchers who examined the drinking habits of middle-aged adults.
Alcohol Increases Risks of Heart Conditions
Alcohol abuse increases the risk of atrial fibrillation, heart attack and congestive heart failure as much as other well-established risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and obesity, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Alcohol Risks Increasing for Older Adults
Alcohol is the most commonly used psychoactive substance among older adults, and this group can have unique risks associated with alcohol consumption -- in even lower amounts -- compared to younger persons.
Alcohol Helps Bacteria Harm the Liver
End-stage liver disease or liver cirrhosis is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, and approximately half of these cases are related to alcohol consumption. There's no refuting that alcohol itself harms the liver, but new research in mice and humans published February 10 in Cell Host & Microbe reveals that chronic drinking also promotes the growth of gut bacteria that can travel to the liver and exacerbate liver disease.
Bariatric Surgery Can Lead to Alcohol Abuse
Among patients who underwent bariatric surgery, there was a higher prevalence of alcohol use disorders in the second year after surgery, and specifically after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, compared with the years immediately before and following surgery, according to a study in JAMA.