Health is Wealth
ยท
According to the most recent ONS statistics, from 2018, liver disease is consistently among the top three causes of death each year among women aged 39-45 Binge Drinking and Me is on
now and
at 8pm #BBCPanorama
Why the idea that โa little red wine is good for your heartโ doesnโt hold up anymore.
I used to drink.
A lot more than I should have.
And while I had some seriously good times when I was drinking, it came at a huge cost.
Brutal hangovers. Terrible sleep. Wrecked weekends.
Even a broken back.
(But thatโs a story for another day.)
I still drink.
But just very little these days.
As a cardiologist, I am asked almost every day if โAlcohol is good or bad for your health?โ.
Letโs find out.
There is no getting away from the fact that, at its most basic chemical foundation, alcohol is a toxin.
Globally, alcohol is responsible for 3 million deaths per year; in the United States, it is the third leading cause of preventable deathยนยฒ.
Alcohol is a factor inยณ:
Alcohol is a factor in 1 in 5 emergency department presentationsโด.
No pun intended, but these statistics make for some sober reading.
โRed Wine Is Good For Your Heart.โ
Now come on.
Did you really think that was true?
I have heard this phrase over and over again in my clinical practice.
High levels of exercise are good for your heart, but oddly enough, most people seem to be far less enthusiastic about this approach than regular alcohol consumption.
Letโs see what the data says.
Up until very recently, it was believed that drinking 1-2 drinks per day was actually protective when it came to dying prematurelyโต.
This data was based on observational studies that cannot fully control for all confounders and can therefore not infer causality.
When you examine the people who drink only 1 to 2 drinks per day, you consistently find that they are much less likely to smoke, be overweight or engage in any other risky health behaviours.
So in truth, it probably wasnโt the alcohol that was driving the effect.
More recent studies have attempted to control for this variable more carefully, and the relationship is clear.
The more you drink.
The higher the risk.
Take coronary artery disease. Higher alcohol intake equates to a higher risk.
The same applies to high blood pressureโถ.
The same applies to strokeโท.
The list goes onโธ:
You get the point.
With all this information to hand, why is it then that I and billions of others continue to drink alcohol?…
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Go inside the operating room for open-heart surgery. Dr. Eric Roselli gives us a behind-the-scenes look at a complex procedure.
4 January 2023
News release
Reading time: 3 min (759 words)
The risks and harms associated with drinking alcohol have been systematically evaluated over the years and are well documented. The World Health Organization has now published a statement in The Lancet Public Health: when it comes to alcohol consumption, there is no safe amount that does not affect health.
Alcohol is a toxic, psychoactive, and dependence-producing substance and has been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer decades ago โ this is the highest risk group, which also includes asbestos, radiation and tobacco. Alcohol causes at least seven types of cancer, including the most common cancer types, such as bowel cancer and female breast cancer. Ethanol (alcohol) causes cancer through biological mechanisms as the compound breaks down in the body, which means that any beverage containing alcohol, regardless of its price and quality, poses a risk of developing cancer.
The risk of developing cancer increases substantially the more alcohol is consumed. However, latest available data indicate that half of all alcohol-attributable cancers in the WHO European Region are caused by โlightโ and โmoderateโ alcohol consumption โ less than 1.5 litres of wine or less than 3.5 litres of beer or less than 450 millilitres of spirits per week. This drinking pattern is responsible for the majority of alcohol-attributable breast cancers in women, with the highest burden observed in countries of the European Union (EU). In the EU, cancer is the leading cause of death โ with a steadily increasing incidence rate โ and the majority of all alcohol-attributable deaths are due to different types of cancers.
To identify a โsafeโ level of alcohol consumption, valid scientific evidence would need to demonstrate that at and below a certain level, there is no risk of illness or injury associated with alcohol consumption. The new WHO statement clarifies: currently available evidence cannot indicate the existence of a threshold at which the carcinogenic effects of alcohol โswitch onโ and start to manifest in the human body.
Moreover, there are no studies that would demonstrate that the potential beneficial effects of light and moderate drinking on cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes outweigh the cancer risk associated with these same levels of alcohol consumption for individual consumers.
โWe cannot talk about a so-called safe level of alcohol use. It doesnโt matter how much you drink โ the risk to the drinkerโs health starts from the first drop of any alcoholic beverage. The only thing that we can say for sure is that the more you drink, the more harmful it is โ or, in other words, the less you drink, the safer it is,โ explains Dr Carina Ferreira-Borges, acting Unit Lead for Noncommunicable Disease Management and Regional Advisor for Alcohol and Illicit Drugs in the WHO Regional Office for Europe.
Despite this, the question of beneficial effects of alcohol has been a contentious issue in research for years.
โPotential protective effects of alcohol consumption, suggested by some studies, are tightly connected with the comparison groups chosen and the statistical methods used, and may not consider other relevant factorsโ, clarifies Dr Jรผrgen Rehm, member of the WHO Regional Director for Europeโs Advisory Council for Noncommunicable Diseases and Senior Scientist at the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research and the Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.
Globally, the WHO European Region has the highest alcohol consumption level and the highest proportion of drinkers in the population. Here, over 200 million people in the Region are at risk of developing alcohol-attributable cancer.
Disadvantaged and vulnerable populations have higher rates of alcohol-related death and hospitalization, as harms from a given amount and pattern of drinking are higher for poorer drinkers and their families than for richer drinkers in any given society.
โSo, when we talk about possible so-called safer levels of alcohol consumption or about its protective effects, we are ignoring the bigger picture of alcohol harm in our Region and the world. Although it is well established that alcohol can cause cancer, this fact is still not widely known to the public in most countries. We need cancer-related health information messages on labels of alcoholic beverages, following the example of tobacco products; we need empowered and trained health professionals who would feel comfortable to inform their patients about alcohol and cancer risk; and we need overall wide awareness of this topic in countries and communities,โ adds Dr Ferreira-Borges.
Mayo Clinic Sportsโ @mayoclinicsport 14 hours ago
Sitting vs. Standing DYK that more standing and less sitting can help you lose weight, increase productivity, and lower risk of heart disease. Take a stand for health and success today! Learn more 
https://mayocl.in/2Mbvqnm
4 January 2023
News release
Reading time: 3 min (759 words)
The risks and harms associated with drinking alcohol have been systematically evaluated over the years and are well documented. The World Health Organization has now published a statement in The Lancet Public Health: when it comes to alcohol consumption, there is no safe amount that does not affect health.
Alcohol is a toxic, psychoactive, and dependence-producing substance and has been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer decades ago โ this is the highest risk group, which also includes asbestos, radiation and tobacco. Alcohol causes at least seven types of cancer, including the most common cancer types, such as bowel cancer and female breast cancer. Ethanol (alcohol) causes cancer through biological mechanisms as the compound breaks down in the body, which means that any beverage containing alcohol, regardless of its price and quality, poses a risk of developing cancer.
The risk of developing cancer increases substantially the more alcohol is consumed. However, latest available data indicate that half of all alcohol-attributable cancers in the WHO European Region are caused by โlightโ and โmoderateโ alcohol consumption โ less than 1.5 litres of wine or less than 3.5 litres of beer or less than 450 millilitres of spirits per week. This drinking pattern is responsible for the majority of alcohol-attributable breast cancers in women, with the highest burden observed in countries of the European Union (EU). In the EU, cancer is the leading cause of death โ with a steadily increasing incidence rate โ and the majority of all alcohol-attributable deaths are due to different types of cancers.
To identify a โsafeโ level of alcohol consumption, valid scientific evidence would need to demonstrate that at and below a certain level, there is no risk of illness or injury associated with alcohol consumption. The new WHO statement clarifies: currently available evidence cannot indicate the existence of a threshold at which the carcinogenic effects of alcohol โswitch onโ and start to manifest in the human body.
Moreover, there are no studies that would demonstrate that the potential beneficial effects of light and moderate drinking on cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes outweigh the cancer risk associated with these same levels of alcohol consumption for individual consumers.
โWe cannot talk about a so-called safe level of alcohol use. It doesnโt matter how much you drink โ the risk to the drinkerโs health starts from the first drop of any alcoholic beverage. The only thing that we can say for sure is that the more you drink, the more harmful it is โ or, in other words, the less you drink, the safer it is,โ explains Dr Carina Ferreira-Borges, acting Unit Lead for Noncommunicable Disease Management and Regional Advisor for Alcohol and Illicit Drugs in the WHO Regional Office for Europe.
Despite this, the question of beneficial effects of alcohol has been a contentious issue in research for years.
โPotential protective effects of alcohol consumption, suggested by some studies, are tightly connected with the comparison groups chosen and the statistical methods used, and may not consider other relevant factorsโ, clarifies Dr Jรผrgen Rehm, member of the WHO Regional Director for Europeโs Advisory Council for Noncommunicable Diseases and Senior Scientist at the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research and the Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.
Globally, the WHO European Region has the highest alcohol consumption level and the highest proportion of drinkers in the population. Here, over 200 million people in the Region are at risk of developing alcohol-attributable cancer.
Disadvantaged and vulnerable populations have higher rates of alcohol-related death and hospitalization, as harms from a given amount and pattern of drinking are higher for poorer drinkers and their families than for richer drinkers in any given society.
โSo, when we talk about possible so-called safer levels of alcohol consumption or about its protective effects, we are ignoring the bigger picture of alcohol harm in our Region and the world. Although it is well established that alcohol can cause cancer, this fact is still not widely known to the public in most countries. We need cancer-related health information messages on labels of alcoholic beverages, following the example of tobacco products; we need empowered and trained health professionals who would feel comfortable to inform their patients about alcohol and cancer risk; and we need overall wide awareness of this topic in countries and communities,โ adds Dr Ferreira-Borges.
4 January 2023
News release
Reading time: 3 min (759 words)
The risks and harms associated with drinking alcohol have been systematically evaluated over the years and are well documented. The World Health Organization has now published a statement in The Lancet Public Health: when it comes to alcohol consumption, there is no safe amount that does not affect health.
Alcohol is a toxic, psychoactive, and dependence-producing substance and has been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer decades ago โ this is the highest risk group, which also includes asbestos, radiation and tobacco. Alcohol causes at least seven types of cancer, including the most common cancer types, such as bowel cancer and female breast cancer. Ethanol (alcohol) causes cancer through biological mechanisms as the compound breaks down in the body, which means that any beverage containing alcohol, regardless of its price and quality, poses a risk of developing cancer.
The risk of developing cancer increases substantially the more alcohol is consumed. However, latest available data indicate that half of all alcohol-attributable cancers in the WHO European Region are caused by โlightโ and โmoderateโ alcohol consumption โ less than 1.5 litres of wine or less than 3.5 litres of beer or less than 450 millilitres of spirits per week. This drinking pattern is responsible for the majority of alcohol-attributable breast cancers in women, with the highest burden observed in countries of the European Union (EU). In the EU, cancer is the leading cause of death โ with a steadily increasing incidence rate โ and the majority of all alcohol-attributable deaths are due to different types of cancers.
To identify a โsafeโ level of alcohol consumption, valid scientific evidence would need to demonstrate that at and below a certain level, there is no risk of illness or injury associated with alcohol consumption. The new WHO statement clarifies: currently available evidence cannot indicate the existence of a threshold at which the carcinogenic effects of alcohol โswitch onโ and start to manifest in the human body.
Moreover, there are no studies that would demonstrate that the potential beneficial effects of light and moderate drinking on cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes outweigh the cancer risk associated with these same levels of alcohol consumption for individual consumers.
โWe cannot talk about a so-called safe level of alcohol use. It doesnโt matter how much you drink โ the risk to the drinkerโs health starts from the first drop of any alcoholic beverage. The only thing that we can say for sure is that the more you drink, the more harmful it is โ or, in other words, the less you drink, the safer it is,โ explains Dr Carina Ferreira-Borges, acting Unit Lead for Noncommunicable Disease Management and Regional Advisor for Alcohol and Illicit Drugs in the WHO Regional Office for Europe.
Despite this, the question of beneficial effects of alcohol has been a contentious issue in research for years.
โPotential protective effects of alcohol consumption, suggested by some studies, are tightly connected with the comparison groups chosen and the statistical methods used, and may not consider other relevant factorsโ, clarifies Dr Jรผrgen Rehm, member of the WHO Regional Director for Europeโs Advisory Council for Noncommunicable Diseases and Senior Scientist at the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research and the Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.
Globally, the WHO European Region has the highest alcohol consumption level and the highest proportion of drinkers in the population. Here, over 200 million people in the Region are at risk of developing alcohol-attributable cancer.
Disadvantaged and vulnerable populations have higher rates of alcohol-related death and hospitalization, as harms from a given amount and pattern of drinking are higher for poorer drinkers and their families than for richer drinkers in any given society.
โSo, when we talk about possible so-called safer levels of alcohol consumption or about its protective effects, we are ignoring the bigger picture of alcohol harm in our Region and the world. Although it is well established that alcohol can cause cancer, this fact is still not widely known to the public in most countries. We need cancer-related health information messages on labels of alcoholic beverages, following the example of tobacco products; we need empowered and trained health professionals who would feel comfortable to inform their patients about alcohol and cancer risk; and we need overall wide awareness of this topic in countries and communities,โ adds Dr Ferreira-Borges.
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Kickstart your New Year’s health resolutions this month with these top nutrition tips from our Senior Dietitians at Blackrock Health Hermitage Clinic. Prioritise your health this year by following some simple guidelines:
– Prioritise whole foods: Swap processed snacks for nourishing, nutrient-dense snacks such as nuts and dried fruits, fruit and yogurt, cheese and crackers, nutty flapjacks, oat snacks. When opting for convenience snacks be aware of the ingredient list, some snacks which may label themselves as ‘healthy’ alternatives may have a long list of ingredients, generally the more whole ingredients and the shorter the list the better!
– Stay hydrated: Start each day with a glass of water and aim for 8 glasses throughout the day. Proper hydration is key for energy and overall well-being.
– Limit alcohol: Alcohol dehydrates and can cause fatigue which leads to poorer food choices as well as negatively impacting overall health. Swap alcoholic drinks for non-alcoholic alternatives where possible and aiming for at least three alcohol free days per week.
– Stay active: Incorporating some daily movement (outside if possible) will support overall mood, energy levels and health.
– Plan ahead: Try not let busy schedules derail your healthy eating goals. Meal prepping, batch cooking and planning snacks will help you stay on track.
At Blackrock Health, our Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition department is made up of Registered Dietitians who help manage and support a variety of nutritional and medical concerns to patients across our clinics.
If you are interested in outpatient dietetic support please visit our Dietetics & Nutrition pages (https://www.blackrockhealth.com/treat…/dietetics-nutrition) where you will find the many options available.
Healthaware 