How Even Small Amounts of Alcohol Can Shorten Your Expected Life Span
A study discussed in CNN Health notes that consuming just seven drinks per week can lower your life expectancy. According to the article, drinking “more than 100 grams of alcohol per week” can increase your risk of death from all causes. The study shows that drinking up to double the recommended amount can decrease a 40-year-old’s life expectancy by six (6) months.
An increase in alcohol consumption was linked to a reduction in life expectancy. For instance, drinking between 200 and 350 grams of alcohol per week could reduce a person’s life expectancy by up to two years. Drinking over 350 grams of alcohol per week could reduce a person’s life expectancy by up to five years.
Consuming even moderate amounts of alcohol on a regular basis can significantly impact your expected life span and has many adverse health risks. The study showed that people who consumed a large amount of alcohol had an increased risk of:
- Stroke
- Heart failure
- Fatal hypertensive disease
- Fatal aortic aneurysm
Alcohol can impact nearly every aspect of your health, in the short- and long-term. Alcohol is linked to an increased risk of injury. Common injuries associated with alcohol consumption and binge drinking include:
- Injuries related to drunk driving accidents
- Injuries related to falls
- Increased risk for violence and assault
- Increased risk of drowning
- Alcohol poisoning
If you have developed an unhealthy relationship with alcohol or would like to stop drinking, there are options for treatment.