Alcohol And heAlth
DYING FOR A DRINK
AN OVERVIEW OF THE DAMAGE DONE
The annual number of ‘ alcohol-specific ’ deaths in the UK currently stands at well over 7,000 , while alcohol-related hospital admissions number more than a million . Alcohol may have become ingrained in our society but , clearly , it is a far from benign substance
Alcohol has been consumed by humans for thousands of years , and many people use it responsibly and without significant adverse effects . However , it is also an addictive psychoactive substance . According to the World Health Organization ( WHO ), alcohol consumption is a ‘ causal factor in more than 200 disease and injury conditions ’.
The UK government ’ s revised guidelines for alcohol consumption , published in January 2016 , state that ‘ drinking any level of alcohol increases the risk of a range of cancers ’ and recommend that men and women consume no more than 14 units of alcohol per week . A major international study published in The Lancet in April 2018 found the ‘ minimum mortality risk ’ to be around or above 100g of alcohol per week , or 12.5 UK units .
According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics ( ONS ) there were 7,327 ‘ alcohol-specific ’ deaths in the UK in 2016 , and while the death rate has remained unchanged for around three years it is still higher than 15 years ago . Using a ‘ broad measure ’ for alcohol-related hospital admissions – where an alcohol-related disease , injury or condition was either the primary reason for admission or a secondary diagnosis – there were an estimated 1.1m admissions in 2015-16 .
In addition to the potentially serious acute effects of drinking a large quantity of alcohol on a single occasion , such as accidents , injury or alcohol poisoning , prolonged alcohol consumption can lead to a wide range of physical and mental ill health conditions , and can seriously damage many of the body ’ s organs .
LIVER AND PANCREAS
As the human body metabolises most alcohol in the liver , this is the organ that is particularly at risk from alcohol consumption . Heavy drinking can lead to alcoholic fatty liver and liver inflammation , the scarring from which can cause cirrhosis and stop the organ from functioning properly . As the liver is a resilient organ , however , often no symptoms will manifest until the damage is at an advanced stage . Most cases of liver cancer are also associated with cirrhosis .
Heavy drinking can also cause the pancreas to become inflamed , a condition known as pancreatitis . Drinking too much alcohol can be a cause of both acute – short-term – and chronic pancreatitis , which is usually caused by years of excess alcohol consumption .
HYPERTENSION
Drinking too much alcohol is a cause of hypertension ( high blood pressure ), which is a risk factor for heart attacks , heart disease and heart failure , stroke , aneurysms , kidney disease and other conditions .
CANCER
Alcohol is also a risk factor for a range of cancers – as well as cancer of the liver these include cancers of the bowel , breast , larynx , mouth , oesophagus and throat . The body converts alcohol into acetaldehyde , which damages DNA and inhibits the ability of cells to repair themselves . Alcohol also increases the body ’ s levels of hormones such as oestrogen – which have an effect on cell division – and makes it easier for the mouth and throat to absorb the carcinogenic chemicals in cigarettes .
MENTAL HEALTH
Alcohol is a depressant , which means that in the short term it can help to relieve stress and relax inhibitions , the latter making it appealing to some people with social anxiety issues . Regular drinking , however , can increase both anxiety and depression , meaning that people who drink as a form of self-medication can become trapped in a vicious circle . ‘ Alcohol affects the chemistry of the brain , increasing the risk of depression ,’ says the Royal College of Psychiatrists , while the anxiety that can accompany the physical symptoms of an alcohol hangover can lead people to drink more to feel ‘ normal ’ again – and so risk developing both mental health problems and alcohol dependency . Heavy drinking also increases the risk of self-harm or suicide , while dependent drinkers can be more prone to psychosis .
OLDER DRINKERS
While issues such as loneliness , retirement and bereavement mean older people may be more likely to drink at unhealthy levels , physiological changes also mean that alcohol can have a more detrimental effect
The UK has an aging population and much has been written about the habits of members of the ‘ baby boomer ’ generations , many of whom have grown up in a culture of heavy drinking . People aged 55-64 are currently the most likely to be drinking at ‘ higher ’ or ‘ increasing ’ risk levels , and are likely to continue these habits into older age . Of the ‘ alcohol-specific ’ deaths in the UK in 2016 , most male deaths were in the 60-64 age range and most female deaths in the 55-59 age range . The alcohol-related death rate among men aged 70-74 , meanwhile , has increased by around 50 per cent since 2001 .
Retirement , boredom , bereavement , isolation and loneliness can all mean that older people may be likely to develop problematic drinking habits , but as people get older their bodies also start to process alcohol more slowly . This means that the effects can be more pronounced , and overall tolerance will be lower . As people age , the ratio of body water to fat decreases meaning there is less water to dilute the alcohol consumed , as well as decreased flow of blood to the liver and decreased liver enzyme efficiency . Slower reactions mean that older people are also at more risk of injuring themselves in alcohol-related falls or other accidents .
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