Studies show that if you are under the age of 40, there is no healthy amount of alcohol.

CNN
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According to a new global study, under the age of 40, there is no healthy amount of alcohol, mainly due to alcohol-related deaths from car accidents, injuries and murders.

However, new studies show that small amounts of alcohol may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes for people over the age of 40 who do not have an underlying health condition.

Emmanuela Gakidu, a senior author and professor of health index science at the Institute for Health Metrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, said:

“Therefore, especially when looking at the cumulative health effects of the elderly, we find that small doses are actually better than not drinking. For all other causes, harmful at all levels of consumption. is.”

In fact, this study found no protective effect against diseases such as tuberculosis, high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, liver disease, epilepsy, pancreatitis, and many cancers.

“Both global and domestic alcohol guidelines usually emphasize the differences in consumption levels between women and men,” Gakidou said. “Our work suggests that global, national, and local guidelines are more effective at emphasizing age rather than gender.”

The findings emphasize “the importance of alcohol recommendations tailored to specific regions and populations,” Amanda Berger, vice president of science and health at the US industry group Distilled Spirits Council, told CNN in an email.

“Importantly, no one should drink alcohol for potential health benefits, and some individuals should not drink it at all.”

Report, Released in the journal Lancet on ThursdayIs the first person to report alcohol risk by geography, age, gender, and year in the world, according to the Institute for Health Metrics, which prepared the study.

The analysis examined 30 years of data collected by the Institute for people aged 15-95 in 204 countries and regions. Global burden of research on illness, injury, and risk factorsTrack premature deaths and disabilities due to over 300 illnesses.

According to the analysis, 1.34 billion people worldwide consumed harmful amounts of alcohol in 2020. More than 59% of those who drank dangerous amounts of alcohol were 15-39. More than two-thirds were men.

Studies have shown that in all regions, drinking alcohol does not provide health benefits to people under the age of 40, but increases the risk of injuries such as car accidents, suicides and murders.

In this study, a standard drink was defined as 10 grams of pure alcohol. This could be a small red wine of 3.4 fl oz (100 ml), a standard can of 12 fl oz (355 ml) or a bottle of beer (3.5% alcohol). ) Or a shot of 1 ounce of spirits (30 ml). The alcohol content is 40%.

While praising the successful analysis, some experts not involved in the study expressed concern about the conclusions of the study.

According to statistics, Colin Angus, a senior researcher at the Sheffield Alcohol Research Group at a university in the United Kingdom, said, “In the United Kingdom, alcohol-related deaths between the ages of 20 and 24 are more than 14 times higher.” I am saying. In a statement from Shefield. “This data is inconsistent with the claim that this new study should focus on drinking in the younger age group,” Angus said.

“The elephants in this study room are an interpretation of the risks based on the outcome of cardiovascular disease, especially in the elderly,” visited a clinical researcher at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience at Kings College London. Dr. Tony Lao said. ..

“We know that the health benefits of alcohol to the heart and circulation are offset by an increased risk from other conditions such as cancer, liver disease, and mental disorders such as depression and dementia. “Lao said in a statement.

Study published in March We have found that one pint of beer or a glass of wine per day can reduce the amount of the entire brain, and the damage increases as the number of daily drinks increases. On average, 50-year-olds who drank a pint of beer or 6 ounces of glass of beer last month had a brain that looked two years older than those who drank only half of the beer.

research Dr. Sara Wakeman, Medical Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Substance Use Disorders Initiative, showed that in the United States, adult drinking increased during a pandemic, especially women’s drinking “a 41% increase in heavy drinking days.” I am. In a previous CNN interview.

Study published in June Many moderate drinkers over the age of 30 were found on weekends. This is defined as drinking 5 or more drinks continuously or in a short period of time. Drinking an average of 1 or more drinks a day for women, 2 or more drinks a day for men, or 5 or more at the same time was associated with alcohol problems after 9 years.

Women are particularly sensitive to the effects of alcohol, According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Addiction, Or NIAA. Alcohol-related problems appear faster and at lower drinking levels than men, he said.

Women are more susceptible to alcohol-related brain damage and heart disease than men, the study For women who drink one cup a day Breast cancer risk 5% to 9% compared to abstainers.

“The recommendation that people under the age of 40 never drink alcohol is completely unrealistic,” said Matt Lambert, CEO of Portman Group, an industry-funded group that regulates alcohol marketing in the United Kingdom, in an email. rice field.

Gakidou, the lead author of the study, admits: Still, we believe it is important to provide up-to-date evidence so that everyone can make informed decisions about their health. ”

For people over the age of 65, increased drinking is a concern. Because many older people “have a health condition that interacts with alcohol and can be aggravated by alcohol, and use drugs that are susceptible to alcohol-related falls and other accidental injuries. “NIAA said.

“There is a high threshold for alcohol to be an effective preventative therapy, and previous studies have not reached that threshold. If so, the beverage industry should apply for a license from the FDA. “It will be,” said Dr. Nick Cheron, a professor of liver at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom.

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation last published a report on alcohol four years ago when it analyzed global disease burden data for 15-49 people in 2016. Not finding the amount of liquor, wine and beer was safe for overall health.

“What we have done in this new study is a more detailed and subtle analysis of 21 different regions of the world,” Gakidou said. “What we can do now is to break it down. Who is alcohol harmful to? Who is it beneficial to? So the message comes up as different, but in fact before. It is consistent with what I said.

“If you ask me,’Will the message change in 10 years?’Maybe. New evidence is likely to come out,” he said. “It may change our way of thinking.”