No amount of alcoholIt’s good for the human body, previous research has shown – and now a new study has linked it to a rising number of deaths.
Over the course of two decades – from 1999 to 2020 – the number of alcohol-related deaths nearly doubled, according to a study from the Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University (FAU).
Researchers analyzed data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiological Research (WONDER) and found that alcohol mortality rates fell from 10.7 per 100,000 in 1999 to 21.6 per 100,000 in 2020.
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The largest increase – a fourfold increase – was observed among people between 25 and 34 years old.
The results have been published in The American Journal of Medicine.
The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend no more than one drink per day for women and anyone over age 65, and no more than two drinks per day for men. (iStock)
“Healthcare providers and their patients should be aware that individuals who consume moderate to large amounts of alcohol, both in the US and in most populations around the world, are at the greatest risks for premature mortality and morbidity,” wrote study author Charles H. Hennekens, MD, a professor of medicine at FAU Schmidt College of Medicine, told Fox News Digital.
The leading causes of alcohol-related deaths were cardiovascular disease, mainly due to heart attacks and strokes – as well as certain “common and serious cancers,” as well as cirrhosis of the liver, Hennekens said.
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“Chronic, heavy alcohol consumption is also a major contributor to hospital admissions in state institutions due to a variety of harmful consequences, 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?
The amount of alcohol consumption can have a significant impact on mortality risk, Hennekens noted.
“The difference between drinking small and moderate to large amounts of alcohol can mean a big difference between preventing and causing premature deaths,” the researcher said. “Liver damage is an immediate consequence of alcohol consumption.”
The number of alcohol-related deaths almost doubled between 1999 and 2020, the study found. (iStock)
Dr. Ken Spielvogel, senior medical advisor for Carrara Treatment Wellness & Spa in Los Angeles, agreed that higher amounts of alcohol increase the risk of hypertension, strokeheart failure and other cardiac complications.
Anything more than one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men can have “dramatic adverse consequences,” he said — especially when combined with obesity and other comorbidities.
The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend no more than one drink per day for women and anyone over 65, and no more than two drinks per day for men.
Increase in alcohol deaths among women
Although men had the highest death rates overall, women saw the “largest proportional increase,” with deaths rising 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 results.
“Women are more likely to progress in the development of alcohol use disorders and their associated health consequences.”
“These findings are consistent with what we have seen clinically over the past decade: an increase in serious diseases and comorbidities related to alcohol use,” Scioli, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
This has mostly been the case 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 the number of women – especially those between the ages of 20 and 55 – entering treatment at Caron for liver failure and being listed for a liver transplant,” the expert said.
According to Scioli, there has been a “dramatic increase” in alcohol consumption among women since the 1990s, which was accelerated during the pandemic.
He cited a number of potential causes for that increase, including the rise of “wine culture,” the marketing of alcohol to women and the infiltration of alcohol into family spaces – putting women at greater risk of “significant health consequences.”
Gender differences in alcohol effects
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 vulnerable to the effects of alcohol on the liver, heart and brain,” he said.
Women also suffer from it more often health consequences earlier alcohol consumption than men.
“We call it the ‘telescopic’ effect, which means that women progress faster in developing alcohol use disorders and their associated health consequences,” Scioli said.
Women are more likely to suffer from the health effects of alcohol consumption than men, researchers have discovered. (iStock)
Specifically, alcohol use puts women at greater risk for cirrhosis, alcohol-related liver disease, congestive heart failure, heart attack and stroke, he noted.
‘Chronic alcohol use can also increase the risk breast cancers and cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver and colon,” Scioli added.
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Spielvogel also pointed to the rise in obesity in the US across all age groups and all genders.
“The combination of an increase in alcohol consumption on top of an obesity epidemic exposes women to higher alcohol-related mortality,” he told Fox News Digital.
Potential limitations
Experts pointed out some possible limitations of the study.
“It’s an analysis of cross-sectional data,” Spielvogel said.
“There may be bias in analyzing this population mix in a non-prospective randomized manner, which is the gold standard for scientific research, but not possible for analyzing this data,” he continued.
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“Conducting an analysis across cultures and age groups can also lead to bias and inaccurate conclusions.”
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 reduce alcohol-related deaths.
They also recommend additional research to shape public health policy.
Experts are calling for earlier interventions to identify people who need assessment for a possible substance use disorder. (iStock)
“To limit these risks, screening for alcohol use in primary care is essential,” says Hennekens.
Scioli agreed and called for earlier intervention by health care professionals to identify individuals, especially women, who may be drinking problematically and refer them for assessment for possible substance use disorder.
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“We also need to make it easier and more acceptable for individuals to get the help they need,” he added.
“Finally, we need to normalize sobriety and provide more support for people who don’t drink alcohol.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association seeking comment.
