A study of risk factors for early-onset dementia finds alcohol abuse tops the list. In contrast, the influence of hereditary factors is small, according to the researchers.
Alcohol is the most common cause of acute pancreatitis.
Fatty liver is the most common finding in alcohol-dependent people and up to 15% of those that continue to drink will develop cirrhosis within 10 years
Up to 33% of the excess deaths associated with alcohol misuse are related to cardiovascular disease.
The dilated cardiomyopathy associated with alcohol misuse is predominantly caused by the nutritional deficiencies that are prevalent. Dilated cardiomyopathy or DCM is a condition in which the heart becomes weakened and enlarged, and cannot pump blood efficiently.
Anaemia and low blood platelet count can all be caused by the nutritional deficiencies of folate and B12 that may occur in chronic alcohol misuse.
A study of risk factors for early-onset dementia finds alcohol abuse tops the list. In contrast, the influence of hereditary factors is small, according to the researchers.
Osteoporosis is a condition that affects the bones, causing them to become weak and fragile and more likely to break (fracture), long term drinking increases the risk.
Three times more alcohol is now consumed per head as in the 1950s and it is estimated to cause 30,000 to 40,000 deaths a year. In addition to bowel cancer and breast cancer, there is also evidence that alcohol increases the risk of cancers of the liver, oesophagus, mouth, pharynx and larynx. In total, scientists estimate alcohol causes 20,000 cases of cancer a year.
There is evidence that drinking safely, within government guidelines, 14 units per week, can have positive health effects. But women who regularly drink, and we were among them, for example increase their risk of breast cancer by 50% by drinking 3 glasses of wine a night. Breast cancer has soared in recent decades with new cases doubling since the early 1970s, partly driven by the rise in alcohol consumption. It is now the commonest cancer, with almost 49,000 cases and 12,000 deaths a year, despite affecting only one sex.
Please can we drop the stigma that is behind this gateway drug and not be ashamed to intervene rather than the antiquated approach of having to reach rock bottom or worse.
