A study in the United Kingdom found that people with health problems or lower socio-economic status are particularly vulnerable.
Essential of a study published in the medical journal JAMA Network Openthe conclusion was that even people who consumed alcohol in small doses, which according to the recommendations were considered safe, died more often from cancer.
Regular alcohol users were more likely to die not only from cancer, but also from other causes, including diseases of the circulatory system.
“The deleterious effect on cancer deaths is seen from the first drop of alcohol,” said lead study author Rosario Ortola, associate professor at the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the Autonomous University of Madrid.
The analysis included about 135 thousand People aged 60 and over, 2006-2010. during the period included in the register of the United Kingdom Biobank, a large-scale biomedical database. The researchers assigned scores to each individual based on their health risk and assessed socioeconomic factors. Their health status was subsequently monitored for an average of 12.4 years.
The researchers included in the control group people who drank alcohol occasionally, instead of abstainers, who gave up such drinks completely.
Notably, mortality risk was also higher among people who had health problems or lived in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas, regardless of the amount of alcohol consumed.
According to the study, this may be related to less healthy lifestyles and poorer access to social support and health care services.
The study’s authors said their results highlight the disparities in alcohol-related health outcomes and highlight the importance of public health services to reduce the high burden of alcohol-related disease.
There is no safe dose of alcohol
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), alcohol causes almost 1 million deaths in Europe every year. people, and the level of alcohol consumption in this region is the highest in the world. Alcohol is a major risk factor for cancer, heart and digestive system disease, and mental health problems.
This study reaffirms that no level of alcohol consumption is safe, Alessandro Gallina, head of non-communicable disease prevention policy at the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), told Euronews Health.
Several European countries have taken measures to reduce the public health risks posed by alcohol. For example, from 2026 Ireland will require alcohol to be labeled with cancer and liver disease risks. Norway, which has long banned alcohol advertising and imposes high taxes on alcohol, will soon begin requiring alcoholic beverages to carry health warnings.
At the end of last year, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cancer, which highlighted the risks associated with harmful alcohol consumption.
However, the WHO, EPHA and other bodies have complained that this wording downplays the health risks of alcohol and have called for stricter EU-wide regulatory policies.
“The chosen terminology suggests that ‘harmless’ alcohol consumption is possible, and such an idea is not based on any reliable scientific evidence,” said A.Gallina.
2024-08-20 12:51:31