You may have come across them in recent weeks, spectacular titles in newspapers and on news websites ranging from “The Big Alcohol Study: Why Under 40s Shouldn’t Drink At All” to “For People Under 40s Every Glass Of Alcohol Is Dangerous”. To many wine aficionados, especially those under 40, that will sound like a cause for concern. But the study that started it all tells a more complicated story, despite the spectacular titles. And its authors also nuance; they clearly state that the study should not be applied directly to individual choices around alcohol consumption.
The ambitious new study has sparked a spate of sensational headlines suggesting that people under 40 should avoid alcohol completely. But the study, which examined 30 years of health data from multiple countries, paints a complex picture: On the one hand, the researchers found that people under 40 who drink are more likely to engage in risky behavior, which increases their risk of accidents, injuries and death. also enlarged. But for people over 40, whose main health risks are heart disease, stroke and diabetes, moderate drinking offered benefits.
The study was conducted by dozens of researchers through the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Their work was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and published in the medical journal The Lancet in July. The researchers analyzed data from the 2020 Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors Study (GBD). The GBD’s wide scope allowed researchers to analyze alcohol-related causes of death for people ages 15 to 95 in 21 geographic regions from 1990 to 2020.
Study’s key finding: Younger people are most prone to alcohol-related death from…injuries
An earlier Lancet study looking at the 2016 GBD concluded that no amount of alcohol consumption is safe. That led to a backlash: Other researchers pointed to studies that have linked moderate consumption of alcohol, especially wine, and better health.
The new GBD study differs from the previous one by focusing on “background rates of disease.” The health effects of alcohol on a particular population depend on how healthy or unhealthy that population already is – which in turn depends on the age of the population (the elderly, for example, are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease) and the location (people in certain regions are more susceptible to diseases such as tuberculosis).
That focus is the basis for the study’s key findings: Younger people are most prone to alcohol-related death from injuries, including car accidents, interpersonal violence, accidental injury, and self-harm. Because of the increased risk of injury in young people while using alcohol, their “non-drinker equivalent” — the amount of alcohol consumption at which a drinker’s risk is equal to that of a non-drinker — is close to zero, the authors state. .
People over 40 who drink moderate amounts of alcohol have better overall health than non-drinkers
Older people, on the other hand, are much less likely to suffer from alcohol-related injuries, but they are more prone to heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Since there is some evidence that moderate alcohol consumption offers some protection against these diseases, people over 40 who drink moderate amounts of alcohol have better overall health than non-drinkers.
However, the study also found that people under 40 can drink a little more than one glass of wine per week before their risk increases compared to non-drinkers. There was no statistically significant difference in risk between men and women; therefore, the researchers suggest that public health officials should emphasize age, rather than gender, when issuing guidelines.
The new study does not contradict previous research linking moderate alcohol consumption to certain health benefits, as reported in many places. Rather, she emphasizes that the risks and benefits of alcohol differ depending on a person’s age and location. “In the age groups where heart disease, stroke and type II diabetes are most prevalent, we see the benefit of alcohol consumption,” said Emmanuela Gakidou, the study’s senior author and professor at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington’s School. of Medicine. “In young people, the relatively high risk of alcohol-related injury led to an extremely low threshold for non-hazardous levels of alcohol consumption.”
Encouraging young people to drastically reduce their alcohol consumption is not necessarily necessary to substantially improve health outcomes
dr. Gakidou admits that changing individual behaviour, especially among young people, is extremely difficult. “Encouraging moderate consumption, or small consumption levels, may be more realistic,” she says. But encouraging young people to drastically reduce their alcohol consumption is not necessarily necessary to substantially improve health outcomes: “There is certainly some evidence that if you can prevent the injuries and accidents, much of the harm associated with alcohol will be prevented at a younger age.” to disappear.” dr. Gakidou points to countries that have enacted strict laws against drink-driving that have drastically reduced the number of accidental deaths. In another case, the mayor of a city in Colombia noted that payday homicide rates peaked; he forced bars to close early on paydays and achieved a notable drop in deaths.
dr. Gakidou also points out that the GBD data is extensive, but doesn’t show many other factors. “We don’t have a lot of evidence about cumulative drinking,” she says, that is, whether or not consistent moderate consumption over a lifetime provides improved protection against certain diseases in old age. She also emphasizes that the researchers didn’t have enough data to distinguish between the health effects of different types of alcohol — a particularly important point because studies have shown that wine drinkers are generally healthier than beer and spirits drinkers.
“Of all the studies I’ve published, this one made my mom the happiest”
“We have tried not to make recommendations for individuals, as each individual has their own health profile, including potentially other underlying conditions that could complicate recommendations to drink or not drink. Individuals should really just consult with their doctor when it comes to their own consumption.”
She also emphasizes that “especially for older adults,” moderate alcohol consumption can “definitely” be part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle. “Of all the studies I’ve published, this one made my mom the happiest,” she jokes. While she emphasizes that certain older people should avoid alcohol because of certain conditions or medications, her general message to older drinkers is simple: “If you want to drink a glass or two, or even three — don’t feel guilty about it.” She advises young people who choose to drink to “consume alcohol in moderation and never binge drink. “Getting binge drinking out of young people will already have huge health benefits for them,” she says.
(jvdh)
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