How your drinking habits could put you at risk of more than 60 diseases – including 28 not previously linked to alcohol

BRITS do love a drink, especially in this balmy weather.

But if you’re finding yourself stopping by the pub nightly or having a few too many weekend benders, scientists say you might want to reign it in.

Gout, cataracts, fractures and gastric ulcers have now been identified as alcohol related diseases

A new study has shown that alcohol consumption can increase your risk of over 60 diseases – including many that haven’t previously been linked to booze, like gout, cataracts, fractures and gastric ulcers.

And it added to bodies of research which have already warned that heavy drinking can make you more likely to suffer liver cirrhosis, a stroke and several types of cancer, according to the research conducted by Oxford Population Health, Peking University, and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

Pek Kei Im, a research fellow at Oxford Population Health and a lead author of the paper, said: “Alcohol consumption is adversely related to a much wider range of diseases than has previously been established, and our findings show these associations are likely to be causal.”

This means alcohol consumption is probably the direct cause of these diseases, rather than linked to their appearance.

The study published in the journal Nature Medicine examined the data of 512,000 Chinese adults, who gave detailed interviews about their lifestyle and drinking habits.

About a third of men – but only 2 per cent of women – indulged in booze regularly, meaning at least once a week. 

Researchers studied the men’s health records spanning about 12 years and did a genetic analysis to clarify whether or not booze intake was responsible for causing illness.

Among the 207 diseases identified in the men, the research team determined that alcohol consumption was associated with a higher risk of 61 diseases.

This included 28 diseases previously established by the World Health Organization as alcohol-related, such as liver cirrhosis, stroke, and several gastrointestinal cancers.

But a further 33 diseases that hadn’t previously been defined as alcohol-related – such as gout, cataracts, some fractures, and gastric ulcers – where also found to be caused by boozing habits.

Men who drank regularly had significantly higher risk of developing any disease and had more frequent stays in hospital, compared to occasional drinkers, according to the study’s findings.

Certain drinking patterns where shown to have an effect on the men’s health.

Drinking daily, in heavy ‘binge’ episodes, or outside mealtimes, particularly increased the risks of certain diseases, such as liver cirrhosis.

According to the NHS, cirrhosis is scarring of the liver caused by long-term liver damage, which prevents the liver working properly. It can eventually lead to liver failure, and you can get serious complications, which can be life threatening.

Genetic analysis showed that every four drinks per day were associated with a 14 per cent higher risk of suffering from established alcohol-related diseases, a six per cent higher risk of diseases not previously known to be alcohol-related, and over two-fold higher risk of liver cirrhosis and gout.

Men with higher alcohol intake were also more likely to suffer from a stroke.

Though they focused on Chinese men’s health outcomes, the researchers estimated that “alcohol intake may have on risk of disease in populations around the world”.

Iona Millwood, associate professor at Oxford Population Health and a senior author of the study, said: “It is becoming clear that the harmful use of alcohol is one of the most important risk factors for poor health, both in China and globally.”

Alcohol consumption is estimated to be responsible for about 3 million deaths worldwide each year, and it is increasing in many low- and middle-income countries such as China. 

The UK recorded 9,641 alcohol-related deaths – accounting for 14.8 per 100,000 people – the highest number on record till that point, according to census data.

The NHS advises both men and women to not exceed 14 units of booze a week on a regular basis.

You should also be spreading your drinking over three or more days if you regularly have as much as 14 units a week.

For reference, 14 units is equivalent to six pints of average-strength beer or 10 small glasses of lower-strength wine.

Here’s a guide on how many units are in your favourite tipple:

Single small shot of spirits = 1 unit Small glass of red, white or rosé wine = 1.5 units Bottle of lager, beer or cider = 1.7 unitsCan of of lager, beer or cider = 2.4 units Pint of lower-strength lager, beer or cider = 2 units Standard glass of red, white or rosé wine = 2.1 units Pint of higher-strength lager, beer or cider = 3 units Large glass of red, white or rosé wine = 3 units

Recent research revealed that booze-dependent teens are at greater risk of experiencing depression and other mental health conditions by the time they’re 24.

Meanwhile, these are 17 signs you’re a functioning alcoholic.

  Read More