HealthTalk
Doctor ’ s notes
Dr Rik Heymans is a general practitioner in Nerja and writes on developments in the world of medicine
Exercise and alcohol
Exercise may offset the increased risk for death associated with consuming large amounts of alcohol , new data suggest . In an analysis of data from eight British population-based surveys , the association between alcohol intake and all-cause mortality risk was reduced among individuals who met or exceeded minimum weekly physical activity recommendations . Specifically , the excess risk for cancer mortality tied to alcohol intake was nearly nullified among regular exercisers . The study is one of the first to examine whether an association exists between the health benefits of physical activity and the increased mortality risk associated with alcohol consumption .
Of the full study population of more than 36,000 patients , 4845 ( 13.3 %) exceeded recommended weekly alcohol limits ( 14 units for women ; 21 units for men ). The average alcohol intake among those who reported having had a drink during the previous week was slightly higher than six units . Across the study population , more than a quarter of the participants ( 27.5 %) reported no physical activity , defined as walking for any purpose and formal exercise , whereas 39.1 % achieved the lower level of recommended weekly physical activity , and 23.3 % achieved the upper level of the national recommendation .
Looking at the link between alcohol consumption and mortality in both partially and fully adjusted models , a direct
association between alcohol drinking and all-cause mortality was observed , with ex-drinkers and drinkers at harmful levels showing a clearly higher risk of all-cause mortality , compared with never drinkers . A dose – response link also emerged between weekly alcohol consumption and cancer mortality specifically , the authors state , noting that the evidence of an association between alcohol and cardiovascular disease was weak .
When the population was stratified by activity level , the risk for cancer death was elevated in a dose-dependent manner with alcohol consumption among those who did not achieve minimum recommended activity levels . The same overall pattern of increased mortality was seen in those with higher activity levels , but the relative increase in risk was less . Occasional drinking appeared to confer a protective effect against all-cause and cardiovascular disease – related mortality among adults who met recommended activity levels , according to the authors .
Walking to the nearby off licence would not be considered enough physical exercise to lessen the risk …
© Dr RIK HEYMANS c / Angustias 24 , Nerja .
Tel : 95 252 6775
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