Posted on Jul 14, 2022
Global study finds surprising results for alcohol consumption — CNN
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There are important counterpoints to that assertion in the narrative at the end of the article. While the main article hints at that assertion about older people doing better, the latter half of the article destroys it:
" 'Conclusions criticized
"While praising the analysis as well-conducted, some experts not involved with the research expressed concern about the study's conclusions.
" 'Statistics show there are 'over 14 times as many alcohol-attributable deaths in the UK among 70-74 year-olds than 20-24 year olds,' said Colin Angus, a senior research fellow at the Sheffield Alcohol Research Group at the UK's University of Sheffield, in a statement. The data 'contradicts the assertion in this new study that we should focus on the drinking of younger age groups,' Angus said.
" 'The elephant in the room with this study is the interpretation of risk based on outcomes for cardiovascular disease -- particularly in older people,' said Dr. Tony Rao, visiting clinical research fellow at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London.
" 'We know that any purported health benefits from alcohol on the heart and circulation are balanced out by the increased risk from other conditions such as cancer, liver disease and mental disorders such as depression and dementia,' Rao said in a statement.
" 'A study published in March found just one pint of beer or glass of wine a day can shrink the overall volume of the brain, with the damage increasing as the number of daily drinks rises. On average, people at age 50 who drank a pint of beer or 6-ounce glass of wine a day in the last month had brains that appeared two years older than those who only drank half of a beer.'
"Research in the US has shown drinking among adults rose during pandemic, particularly among women, with 'a 41% increase in heavy drinking days,' said Dr. Sarah Wakeman, medical director of the Substance Use Disorders Initiative at Massachusetts General Hospital, in an earlier CNN interview.
"A study published in June found many moderate drinkers over age 30 binge on the weekend -- defined as five or more drinks in a row or within a short period of time. Drinking an average of more than one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men -- or five or more drinks on the same occasion -- was linked to alcohol problems nine years later.
"Women are especially sensitive to the effects of alcohol, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, or NIAA. Alcohol-related problems appear sooner and at lower drinking levels than in men, it said.
"Women are more susceptible to alcohol-related brain damage and heart disease than men, and studies show women who have one drink a day increase their risk of breast cancer by 5% to 9% compared with those who abstain.
" 'The recommendation that those under 40 should not drink at all is totally unrealistic,' Matt Lambert, CEO of the Portman Group, an industry-funded group that regulates alcohol marketing in the UK, said in an email.
"Gakidou, the study's senior author, admitted that 'it's not realistic to think young adults will stop drinking. Still, we think it's important to communicate the latest evidence so that everyone can make informed decisions about their health.'
"For those over age 65, any increase in drinking is worrisome because many older adults 'use medications that can interact with alcohol, have health conditions that can be exacerbated by alcohol, and may be more susceptible to alcohol-related falls and other accidental injuries,' the NIAA said.
" 'There is a high threshold for being able to say that alcohol is an effective prevention therapy, and the studies so far do not reach that threshold. If they did, then you can be sure that the drinks industry would be applying to the FDA for a license,' said Dr. Nick Sheron, a professor in the hepatology department at the UK's University of Southampton."
"The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation last published a report on alcohol four years ago when it analyzed 2016 Global Burden of Disease data on people 15 to 49, finding no amount of liquor, wine or beer was safe for overall health."
There are important counterpoints to that assertion in the narrative at the end of the article. While the main article hints at that assertion about older people doing better, the latter half of the article destroys it:
" 'Conclusions criticized
"While praising the analysis as well-conducted, some experts not involved with the research expressed concern about the study's conclusions.
" 'Statistics show there are 'over 14 times as many alcohol-attributable deaths in the UK among 70-74 year-olds than 20-24 year olds,' said Colin Angus, a senior research fellow at the Sheffield Alcohol Research Group at the UK's University of Sheffield, in a statement. The data 'contradicts the assertion in this new study that we should focus on the drinking of younger age groups,' Angus said.
" 'The elephant in the room with this study is the interpretation of risk based on outcomes for cardiovascular disease -- particularly in older people,' said Dr. Tony Rao, visiting clinical research fellow at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London.
" 'We know that any purported health benefits from alcohol on the heart and circulation are balanced out by the increased risk from other conditions such as cancer, liver disease and mental disorders such as depression and dementia,' Rao said in a statement.
" 'A study published in March found just one pint of beer or glass of wine a day can shrink the overall volume of the brain, with the damage increasing as the number of daily drinks rises. On average, people at age 50 who drank a pint of beer or 6-ounce glass of wine a day in the last month had brains that appeared two years older than those who only drank half of a beer.'
"Research in the US has shown drinking among adults rose during pandemic, particularly among women, with 'a 41% increase in heavy drinking days,' said Dr. Sarah Wakeman, medical director of the Substance Use Disorders Initiative at Massachusetts General Hospital, in an earlier CNN interview.
"A study published in June found many moderate drinkers over age 30 binge on the weekend -- defined as five or more drinks in a row or within a short period of time. Drinking an average of more than one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men -- or five or more drinks on the same occasion -- was linked to alcohol problems nine years later.
"Women are especially sensitive to the effects of alcohol, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, or NIAA. Alcohol-related problems appear sooner and at lower drinking levels than in men, it said.
"Women are more susceptible to alcohol-related brain damage and heart disease than men, and studies show women who have one drink a day increase their risk of breast cancer by 5% to 9% compared with those who abstain.
" 'The recommendation that those under 40 should not drink at all is totally unrealistic,' Matt Lambert, CEO of the Portman Group, an industry-funded group that regulates alcohol marketing in the UK, said in an email.
"Gakidou, the study's senior author, admitted that 'it's not realistic to think young adults will stop drinking. Still, we think it's important to communicate the latest evidence so that everyone can make informed decisions about their health.'
"For those over age 65, any increase in drinking is worrisome because many older adults 'use medications that can interact with alcohol, have health conditions that can be exacerbated by alcohol, and may be more susceptible to alcohol-related falls and other accidental injuries,' the NIAA said.
" 'There is a high threshold for being able to say that alcohol is an effective prevention therapy, and the studies so far do not reach that threshold. If they did, then you can be sure that the drinks industry would be applying to the FDA for a license,' said Dr. Nick Sheron, a professor in the hepatology department at the UK's University of Southampton."
"The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation last published a report on alcohol four years ago when it analyzed 2016 Global Burden of Disease data on people 15 to 49, finding no amount of liquor, wine or beer was safe for overall health."
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Of psychoactive substances alcohol in number two as far as premature morbidity and mortality, while nicotine is # one, and many consume both.
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