Drinking Too Much Alcohol Could Take Years Off Your Life
According to Medical News Today, a new study shows that “an additional drink can take years off your life.” Ultimately the study which examined the drinking habits of nearly 600,000 drinkers found that “there is no such thing as beneficial moderate drinking.” Drinking too much alcohol was directly linked to an increased risk of premature death.
You can read the Medical News Today article “Just one extra drink could take years off your life” and the study it relied on published in The Lancet, “Risk thresholds for alcohol consumption: combined analysis for 599 912 current drinkers in 83 prospective studies.”
Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol unequivocally can shorten a person’s life expectancy. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drinking too much can lead to:
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Liver disease
- Digestive problems
- Breast cancer
- Cancer of the mouth, throat, and esophagus
- Liver and colon cancer
- Weakened immune system
- Learning and memory problems
- Depression and anxiety
- Social problems
It is believed that excessive drinking is one of the leading preventable causes of death in the country. Studies show that depending on how much you drink and for how long, you could be shortening your life by one to five years. It is important to evaluate your relationship with alcohol and to seek help if you believe that you have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol or cannot stop drinking. There are options for treatment. Millions of people suffer from alcohol use disorders, but only a small percentage ever seek treatment.