Global study finds surprising results for alcohol consumption

If you’re 40 or older without underlying health conditions, however, new research has found that small amounts of alcohol can reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

“Those diseases are the leading cause of death in a good part of the world,” said senior author Emmanuela Gakidou, a professor of health metrics science in the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

“So when you look at the cumulative health effects, especially among older adults, it shows that a small amount is actually better for you than not drinking alcohol. For all the other reasons, it is at all levels of consumption. is harmful.”

In fact, the study found no protective effect for diseases such as tuberculosis, high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, liver disease, epilepsy, pancreatitis, and several cancers.

“Wine guidelines, both global and national, have generally emphasized the difference between consumption levels for men compared to women,” Gakidou said. “Our work suggests that global guidelines, national guidelines and local guidelines will be more effective if they emphasize age as opposed to sex.”

“The findings underscore the importance of tailored wine recommendations to specific regions and populations,” Amanda Berger, vice president of science and health for the United States trade group Distilled Spirits Council, told CNN in an email.

“The important point is that no one should drink alcohol, and some individuals should not drink at all, to get the potential health benefits.”

People under 40 found to be at highest risk

The report, released Thursday in the Lancet journal, is the first to report alcohol exposure by global geographic region, age, gender and year, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which produced the study.

The analysis looked at 30 years of data on people aged 15 to 95 years in 204 countries and territories, collected by the institute’s Global Burden of Disease, Injuries and Risk Factors Study, which found a link between more than 300 diseases of premature death and disability. tracks.

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The analysis estimates that 1.34 billion people worldwide consumed harmful amounts of alcohol in 2020. More than 59% of those who drank unsafe amounts of alcohol were between 15 and 39. More than two-thirds were male.

In each geographic area, the study found that drinking alcohol does not provide any health benefits for people under 40, but does increase the risk of injury, such as motor vehicle accidents, suicides and homicides.

The study defined a standard drink as 10 grams of pure alcohol, a small 3.4-fluid ounce (100-mL) glass of red wine, a 12-fluid-ounce (355-mL) standard can or bottle of beer (3.5% alcohol). ) Maybe. ) or a 1-fluid ounce shot (30 ml) of spirit that is 40% alcohol by volume.

critique of the conclusion

Praising the analysis as being well-conducted, some experts expressed concern about the study’s findings for not being involved in the research.

Colin Angus, a senior research fellow at the University of Sheffield Alcohol Research Group in the UK, said the data showed “14 times more alcohol-related deaths in 70-74-year-olds than in 20-24-year-olds in the UK.” Is.” In a statement from Sheffield. The data “refute the claim in this new study that we should focus on drinking in younger age groups,” Angus said.

“The elephant in the room with this study is the interpretation of risk based on cardiovascular disease outcomes – especially in older people,” said Dr Tony Rao, Clinical Research Fellow in the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College. London.

“We know that any perceived health benefits on the heart and circulation from alcohol are balanced by an increased risk from other conditions such as cancer, liver disease and mental disorders such as depression and dementia,” Rao said in a statement.

A study published in March found that just a pint of beer or a glass of wine a day can reduce total brain volume, with damage increasing as the number of daily drinks increases. On average, people aged 50 who drank a pint of beer or 6-ounce glass of wine a day in the past month had their brains two years older than those who drank only half a beer.

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Dr. Sarah Wakeman, medical director of the Substance Use Disorders Initiative at Massachusetts General Hospital, said research in the US has shown that during the pandemic there has been an increase in drinking among adults, especially among women, “on days of heavy drinking. 41% increase in”. First CNN interview.

A study published in June found that many moderate drinkers over the age of 30 — defined as five or more drinks in a row or within a short period of time — over the weekend. Drinking an average of more than one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men — or five or more drinks on the same occasion — was associated with alcohol problems after nine years.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, or NIAA, women are particularly sensitive to the effects of alcohol. Alcohol-related problems tend to show up early and at lower drinking levels than in men.

Women are more vulnerable to alcohol-related brain damage and heart disease than men, and studies show that women who drink one drink a day have a 5% to 9% increased risk of breast cancer. which is comparable to that of dieters.

“The recommendation that people under 40 should not drink at all is completely unrealistic,” Matt Lambert, CEO of the Portman Group, the industry-funded group that regulates alcohol marketing in the UK, said in an email.

Senior author of the study Gakidou acknowledged that “it is not realistic to think that young adults will stop drinking. Still, we think it is important to communicate the latest evidence so that everyone can make informed decisions about their health.” “

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For people over the age of 65, any increase in drinking is worrisome because many older adults “use drugs that may interact with alcohol, have health conditions that may be aggravated by alcoholism, and alcoholism.” may be susceptible to related falls and other accidental injuries,” the NIAA said.

“It’s a high threshold to be able to say that alcohol is an effective prevention therapy, and the studies so far don’t reach that limit. If they did, you can be sure the beverage industry would apply to the FDA.” . a licence,” said Dr Nick Sharon, Professor in the Department of Hepatology at the University of Southampton, UK.

‘A more detailed and nuanced analysis’

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation last published a report on alcohol four years ago, when it analyzed 2016 Global Burden of Disease data on 15 to 49 people who found that the number of alcohol, wine or beer No amount was safe for overall health.

“What we have done in this new study is a more detailed and nuanced analysis of 21 different world regions,” Gakidou said. “What we’ve been able to do now is break it down: Who is alcohol harmful for? What is alcohol beneficial for? That’s why the message is varying, but it’s really consistent with what we’ve said before. .

“If you ask me, ‘Will the message be different in 10 years?’ Maybe. Chances are new evidence will emerge.” “It might change our thinking.”