Drinking any amount of alcohol linked to raised risk of 61 diseases in new study

Dr Zoe explains the side effects of alcohol

A team of researchers from Oxford University have now linked alcohol consumption with the likes of gout and cataracts.

Other disorders newly linked to drinking alcohol include fractures and circulatory diseases.

Experts noted the study demonstrates that a tipple is linked to a “much wider range of diseases” than previously thought.

The research team teamed up with academics at both Peking University and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences for the study.

They analysed a Chinese database containing health information on more than 512,000 adults, which included their drinking habits.

Among men, alcohol consumption was significantly associated with a higher risk of 60 diseases.

This included 33 not previously reported as alcohol-related diseases by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

While a third of men in the research project drank alcohol regularly (at least once a week), the rate for women was just two percent.

As a result, women were used as a control group to confirm that excess disease risk in men was caused by alcohol drinking.

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The team established dose-dependent risks, highlighting that every four drinks daily is associated with a 14 percent higher risk of having an alcohol-related disease.

Study author, Pek Kei Im said: “Alcohol consumption is adversely related to a much wider range of diseases than has previously been established.

“And our findings show these associations are likely to be causal.”

Senior author, Professor Liming Li added: “This large collaborative study demonstrates a need to strengthen alcohol control policies in China.”

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60 diseases associated with alcohol consumption:

  1. Tuberculosis
  2. Laryngeal cancer
  3. Oesophageal cancer
  4. Liver cancer
  5. Uncertain neoplasm
  6. Colon cancer
  7. Lung cancer
  8. Rectal cancer
  9. Other cancer
  10. Lip, oral cavity and pharynx cancer
  11. Stomach cancer
  12. Other anaemias
  13. Purpura and other haemorrhagic conditions
  14. Other metabolic disorders
  15. Diabetes melitus
  16. Less common psychiatric and behavioural conditions combined
  17. Epilepsy
  18. Transient cerebral ischaemic attacks
  19. Cataract
  20. Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis
  21. Cardiomyopathy
  22. Intracerebral haemorrhage
  23. Sequelae of cerebrovascular disease
  24. Hypertensive heart disease
  25. Essential (primary) hypertension
  26. Cerebral infarction
  27. Complications of heart disease
  28. Stroke, not specified
  29. Occlusion and stenosis of cerebral arteries
  30. Occlusion and stenosis of precerebral arteries
  31. Other cerebrovascular diseases
  32. Chronic ischaemic heart disease
  33. Less common circulatory diseases combined
  34. Unspecified chronic bronchitis
  35. Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  36. Pneumonia
  37. Alcoholic liver disease
  38. Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver
  39. Other inflammatory liver diseases
  40. Abscess of anal and rectal regions
  41. Gastro−oesophageal reflux disease
  42. Gastric ulcer
  43. Other diseases of digestive system
  44. Other diseases of liver
  45. Pancreatitis
  46. Other local infections (skin/subcutaneous tissue)
  47. Osteonecrosis
  48. Gout
  49. Other arthrosis
  50. Abnormal results of function studies
  51. Malaise and fatigue
  52. Other ill−defined/unspecified mortality causes
  53. Unknown/unspecified morbidity causes
  54. Fracture of shoulder and upper arm
  55. Fracture of femur
  56. Fracture of rib(s)/sternum/thoracic spine
  57. Less common injury, poisoning and other external causes combined
  58. Intentional self−harm
  59. Falls
  60. Transport accidents

The NHS says: “There’s no completely safe level of drinking.” Yet, there are recommended guidelines.

Everybody should drink no more than 14 units of alcohol per week, which is the equivalent of six medium (175ml) glasses of wine or six points of four percent beer.

The research findings have been published in the journal Nature Medicine.

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