Now just five pints of beer or glasses of wine a week can take years off life
DRINKING five pints of beer or five large glasses of wine a week increases your odds of early death, new research warns.
The analysis of nearly
600,000 people found that downing in excess of 100g of alcohol per week leads to a greater chance of suffering a stroke, heart failure, and a fatal aneurysm.
In Ireland, a ‘standard drink’ like a half pint or a small glass of wine has about
10g of pure alcohol in it. But a pint of stronger beer or large 175ml glass of red wine might have far more than 20g.
The study, published in the ‘Lancet’, analysed 599,912 drinkers in 19 countries, none of whom had a known history of cardiovascular disease. It found an increase in all causes of death when more than 100g of alcohol was consumed every week.
Drinking more alcohol was also linked with a greater chance of suffering a stroke, heart failure, and a fatal aneurysm.
A 40-year-old regularly drinking between 200g and
350g of alcohol per week – about 10 to 18 large glasses of wine or pints of beer – had a lower life expectancy of around one to two years, researchers found. Those exceeding 350g of alcohol every week could shed four to five years off their life.
The current guideline in Ireland is that women should not drink more than 11 standard drinks a week and men should limit their consumption to 17.
However the ‘Lancet’ study suggests that guidelines could be far more stringent in order to protect health.
The authors of the study said recommended alcohol limits should be lowered to around 100g per week in many countries – which would equate to 10 Irish ‘standard drinks’.
Lead author, Dr Angela Wood, of the University of Cambridge, said: “The key message of this research for public health is that, if you already drink alcohol, drinking less may help you live longer and lower your risk of several cardiovascular conditions.” While the study also found alcohol consumption was linked to a lower risk of non-fatal heart attacks, experts said “on balance” there are no health benefits from drinking.
Dr Wood said: “Alcohol consumption is associated with a slightly lower risk of non-fatal heart attacks but this must be balanced against the higher risk associated with other serious – and potentially fatal – cardiovascular diseases.”
Professor Tim Chico, professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Sheffield, said: “The study makes clear that on balance there are no health benefits from drinking alcohol, which is usually the case when things sound too good to be true.
“Although non-fatal heart attacks are less likely in people who drink, this benefit is swamped by the increased risk of other forms of heart disease including fatal heart attacks and strokes.”
The ‘Lancet’ study was funded by the BHF, UK Medical Research Council, National Institute for Health Research, European Union Framework 7 and European Research Council.
The Government in this country has promised to introduce minimum pricing of alcohol to remove cheap alcohol from shops.
However, it is unclear when this will come into force because it must be in line with its introduction in Northern Ireland.
Proposals to curb alcohol abuse have been strongly opposed by the drinks industry with some success, particularly in relation to display in shops.