Alcohol abuse is among the main causes of increased risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases

ROMA – There are almost 8 million Italians at risk for excessive alcohol consumption: they are of particular concern to young people and women. The psychological, but more often social causes – as highlighted by several studies by associations in defense of the rights of people suffering from alcoholism – are mainly linked to the use of alcohol as an escape from stress, anxiety, trauma (sometimes originating in childhood) , depressions linked to insurmountable economic difficulties. These are the prevalent cases in which alcohol is taken as “therapy” to relieve suffering. Other studies have then revealed other data relating to alcohol abuse. For example: those who are dependent on it have a life expectancy of 12 years less than the average of the general population. Deaths caused by alcohol-related diseases in Italy amount to 43,500 deaths per year.

Prevention day. To provide up-to-date information on the negative effects of alcohol abuse on health and society, the Collaborating Centre on Alcohol and Public Health Policy Research dell’OMS he proclaimed on April 18 Alcohol Prevention Day, World Alcohol Abuse Prevention Day. In our country they join theHigher Institute of Health (ISS)the Italian Society of Alcoholology IS and theItalian Association of Territorial Alcohol Clubs AICAT to promote the culture of prevention, awareness and individual and social responsibility in the area, also in light of the ever-growing scourge of road accidents due to alcohol abuse, especially among new drivers.

Data on young people. The initiative is an opportunity to talk about this problem with young people by providing them with the knowledge necessary to manage situations involving alcohol because even those who would not normally be attracted to alcohol can give in to the psychological pressure of the group. In the USA, before the age of 21, alcohol abuse is a leading preventable cause of death from traffic accidents, homicides, alcohol abuse, falls, burns, drownings and suicides.

The situation in Italy. The situation does not change much in Italy: the Report ITISAN 2023 of the ISS indicates that alcohol is the third factor for the risk of disease and premature death after smoking and arterial hypertension. Another ISS investigation, the STEPS 21-22indicates that between 18 and 21 years of age, despite the fact that in this age group the permitted blood alcohol threshold is zero, 4% of drivers get behind the wheel after consuming alcoholic beverages.

The adults. The role of adults in shaping young people’s attitudes towards alcohol is fundamental to protect them both from the serious personal, family and social problems induced by abuse, and from the serious consequences this has on their brain.

Seniors. On the opposite side is abuse by the elderly reported among others by American Addiction Centers according to which alcohol is the most used substance of abuse after the age of 65. According to SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) 11% of them are affected by alcohol overdose, i.e. alcohol consumption which, according to the US CDC, determines a plasma concentration equal to or greater than 0.08 g/dl. In the elderly, this can lead to dehydration, interactions with the various drugs that they often take due to the comorbidities they often carry such as, for example, diabetes, hypertension, myocardial disease, liver disease, osteoporosis, memory and mood disorders.

L’Alzheimer e il Parkinson. “An Anglo-Canadian study just published on Nature Communications indicates that alcohol abuse, together with diabetes and nitrogen dioxide (an index of air pollution from traffic), also constitutes one of the main causes of increased risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease – states the President of Italian Society of Neurology SINAlessandro Padovani of the University of Brescia – as we indicated in the Manifesto One Brain One Health which summarizes the Italian strategy for Brain Health 2023-2031 today we are exposed to various cumulative risk factors which require a holistic approach that considers them all. Therefore – added Professor Padovani – not only the already known hypertension, diabetes and obesity, but also factors linked to lifestyle such as physical exercise and alcohol consumption. Also the Global Burden of Disease Study conducted for 10 years by the WHO concluded that health is a matter of the individual and it is the events of his life, from possible head traumas to incorrect and modifiable lifestyles, that determine the risk of disease not only of the nervous system” .