Study casts doubt on benefits of moderate consumption

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 3, 2018 (HealthDay News) – If you think your glass of night vino is doing good things for your health, think again.

A new study suggests that people who like to have a drink or two each day are more likely to die prematurely.

"At any age, if you drink every day, even one or two glasses a day, the risk of death increases by 20% compared to a person who drinks the same amount two to three times a week," said Dr. , author of the study. Sarah Hartz. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Washington, St. Louis.

"We should not say anymore that it's healthy to drink, it's a vice that's not good for us," she added.

Hartz noted that the importance of a 20% increase in the risk of death depends on your age. She explained that since very few people are dying in their twenties, an increased risk of premature death by 20% is lower at this age than for someone over 70.

Although the study found an association, it did not prove that moderate alcohol consumption increased the risk of premature death.

But how can alcohol increase this risk?

Hartz said that the core of the increased risk of premature death came from an increased risk of cancer. She said that people often underestimate the consumption of alcohol that can increase the risk of certain cancers, such as breast cancer. And drinking more than four times a week can also increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

But what about all the studies that suggest that moderate consumption of alcohol has health benefits?

Hartz said that several studies this year concluded that drinking is not generally good for health. And the populations in these studies and the last are larger than in the previous ones. More importantly, she noted, the new studies have helped to analyze the lowest levels of consumption.

"We have access to data that we did not have access to before," Hartz said.

The study included information from more than 400,000 people. More than 340,000 people aged 18 to 85 had participated in a national health survey. Another group of nearly 94,000 people aged 40 to 60 had been treated in outpatient clinics in the Veterans Health Administration.

"The group most at risk was people who drank one or two drinks only two to three times a week," she said.

Nevertheless, not everyone is convinced that this study is the last word in matters of alcohol and health.

According to Dr. Guy Mintz, Director of Cardiovascular Health and Lipidology at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York, "the jury still has not determined the frequency and amount of alcohol consumption."

Mintz said, "It's an interesting study." One to two glasses four days a week seemed to protect against cardiovascular disease, but drinking each day eliminated those benefits. "

He pointed out that "one of the findings of the study was that as medicine became more personalized, some patients with a history of cardiovascular disease could benefit from a two or two drink consumption." three days a week, while those at higher risk of cancer may not benefit. "

Mintz recommends to his patients to drink something other than beer because it contains a lot of calories and salt and can contribute to obesity and a high level of triglycerides (a type of adipose tissue in the blood). "I would underline the consumption of alcohol in moderation, both in frequency and in quantity," he said.

The study was published online Oct. 3 in the journal Alcoholism: clinical and experimental research.

More information

To learn more about alcohol and its effects on the body, visit the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.