Daily glass of wine could lead to earlier death, study finds

Research shows that the harmful effects of light alcohol consumption outweigh the benefits announced by other studies

ST. LOUIS – We often see studies telling us that not only light or moderate consumption does not harm our health, but that in some cases it is good for our health. But a new study from the University of Washington's Faculty of Medicine suggests that a glass of wine everyday may not be such a good idea. Instead, it actually increases your risk of dying sooner.

According to the study of more than 400,000 American adults, light drinkers, regardless of their age, are 20% more likely to suffer a premature death.

"Before, it seemed to me that taking one or two drinks a day was not a big deal, and some studies even suggest that it can improve health," says Dr. Sarah M. Hartz, first author, assistant professor from psychiatry to the university. in a statement. "But we now know that even the lightest daily drinkers have an increased risk of mortality."

Hartz says that while previous research has claimed that moderate alcohol consumption can reduce the risk of heart disease, the benefits are overshadowed by the other harmful effects of alcohol. She points out the high cancer risk resulting from daily consumption of alcohol, which can obviously shorten a person's life span.

"Regarding the risk of cancer, all consumption of alcohol was detrimental," she warned.

Hartz and his team analyzed data from a study of 340,668 people aged 18 to 85 who participated in a federal study conducted by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 93,653 adults aged 40 to 60 years in outpatient services at Veterans Administration. The researchers calculated that people who ate one or two drinks at least four times a week were 20% more likely to be victims of premature death than people who took one or two three times a week or less. This does not seem very worrying, but it is especially dangerous for people with other health problems.

"A 20% increase in the risk of death is a much bigger problem for seniors who are already at higher risk," says Hartz. "Relatively few people die in their twenties, so a 20% increase in mortality is low but significant. As people age, their risk of death, regardless of their cause, also increases. Thus, a 20% increase in risk at age 75 means many more deaths than at age 25. "

In other words, unless your doctor tells you otherwise, Hartz says it's not advisable for anyone to justify a trip to the wine store offering health benefits.

"Overall, I think people should no longer consider that a glass of wine a day is in good health," she concluded.

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

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