The Truth About Alcohol and Your Health

The truth about alcohol and your health is that the more you drink the more likely you are to suffer from disease. Drinking is very dangerous for your heart, mental and behavioural disorders, and even cancer. If you’re drinking too much, you’re at a higher risk of suffering from tuberculosis and arterial stiffening, which can lead to deadly conditions.

Heavy drinking increases your risk of heart disease

Excessive drinking has a number of risks, not the least of which is heart disease. In fact, studies have shown that heavy drinkers have two to six times the risk of a heart attack compared to those who abstain. Heavy drinking can also lead to other health problems, such as hypertension.

Heavy drinkers may also be more susceptible to falls, which can lead to fractures. Another potential side effect of heavy alcohol consumption is a weakened heart muscle. This, in turn, makes it harder for the heart to pump blood around the body.

The best way to prevent heart problems is to consume moderate amounts of alcohol in moderation. Ideally, women should have 14 units of alcohol per week spread out over three days and men should drink no more than 14 units a week.

Arterial stiffening caused by alcohol kills

Alcohol may be a potent artery tonic, but it also causes a bunch of other ills. For one thing, it interferes with the flow of blood and can contribute to the formation of plaque on the walls of arteries. This in turn can lead to conditions such as high blood pressure, strokes, and heart attacks. And if you’re under the age of 65, you’re doubly at risk.

Luckily, alcohol isn’t the only artery tonic. Studies have shown that heavy alcohol use can increase the thickness of carotid arteries, and this can exacerbate the effects of arterial stiffening. But if you’re looking for a more measured approach, the best course of action is to limit your intake to no more than two drinks per day, preferably in the evenings.

Tuberculosis

Alcohol consumption is an important contributor to the global tuberculosis burden of disease. As a result, alcohol control policies are an essential part of the global strategy for tuberculosis control. Nevertheless, a lack of scientific knowledge about the effects of alcohol consumption on TB has prevented us from understanding the role of alcohol in the development and maintenance of TB infection.

Several studies have shown that heavy alcohol consumption is a risk factor for TB. Alcohol also causes damage to the immune system, making it difficult for people to fight infections. It can also affect adherence to TB treatment. Moreover, it can increase the toxicity of drugs. This is why substance abuse is a significant threat to the health of tuberculosis patients.

During the course of the study, categorical meta-analyses were conducted to pool the risk relations of alcohol-related problems with TB. Among non-smokers, low-dose alcohol intake was found to protect against active TB.

Cancer

Alcohol is a known carcinogen, but many adults are unaware that alcohol causes tens of thousands of cancer cases each year in the United States. Although it’s not a definitive link, alcohol consumption is associated with a higher risk of breast, rectum, liver, pancreas, and skin cancer.

While alcohol consumption is a known risk factor for certain types of cancer, research has also shown that moderate drinking can reduce the incidence of certain types of cancer. For example, a Women’s Health Initiative study found that those who drink have a lower risk of estrogen-positive breast cancer, and a Global Cancer Prevention Research Project has gathered data on global cancer prevention.

Researchers looked at 10 years of data from multiple agencies, obtaining relative risk estimates from systematic literature reviews and applying them to data from the GLOBOCAN 2020 cancer incidence rate. Overall, alcohol is linked to about 740,000 new cancer cases in 2020.

Mental and behavioural disorders

Alcohol is a drug that causes significant distress and changes in basic brain functions. These effects are largely due to the neurotransmitters it alters in the body. Its effects are known to play a role in the development of many common mental disorders. However, it may also lead to aggressive antisocial behaviors.

Alcohol-induced psychiatric disorders can be characterized by a series of symptom clusters and are judged by a physical exam, laboratory results, and the patient’s history. They usually improve on their own within a few weeks of abstinence.

In addition to the obvious alcohol abuse, other symptoms associated with heavy drinking include anxiety, depression, and psychosis. Women are more susceptible to these disorders than men, and they are often present before the onset of alcoholism.