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Health
Chiara Fiorillo & Aaron Morris

60 diseases and conditions linked to drinking alcohol like beer and wine - from cancer to epilepsy

Drinking alcohol can put you at risk of developing 60 diseases and conditions, including many which were never previously linked boozing - a recent study has found. The consumption of alcohol accounted for in the region of three million deaths worldwide across 2016, and as part of a major study in China, researches have took it upon themselves to analyse the risks regarding boozing.

The harmful effects of binge drinking for certain diseases - including the likes of stroke, cirrhosis, and several types of cancer - are well known, but only a few studies have looked at the major impacts alcohol has on developing an extensive range of diseases and conditions.

Collaboratively, Oxford Population Health and Peking University last month published a brand-new study centred around the long-term health effects of consuming alcoholic beverages. Assessing information from China's Biobank systems, researches determined that 'among men, alcohol intake was associated with 61 diseases, including 33 not defined by the World Health Organization as alcohol-related'.

Read more: Alcohol rules for travelling on flights with Tui, Jet2, EasyJet, Emirates, Ryanair and British Airways

The Mirror reports that gout, cataracts, certain fractures and gastric ulcers are among the new developments related to regular alcohol consumption (a minimum of one drink per week). Published in Nature Medicine, the study found that men who drank alcohol on a regular basis had a significantly higher risk of developing a disease or condition, as well as experiencing more frequent hospitalisations than those who only drank occasionally.

Scientists found that drinking patterns like daily consumption or 'binge' episodes particularly also increased the risks of certain diseases - particularly liver cirrhosis. On the study, author Pek Kei Im, 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."

Professor Liming Li - who is a senior author and CKB co-PI from Peking University - added: "Levels of alcohol consumption are rising in China, particularly among men. This large collaborative study demonstrates a need to strengthen alcohol control policies in China.

Associate Professor at Oxford Population Health, Iona Milwood - who is also a senior author of the study - meanwhile explained: "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."

Diseases and conditions linked to alcohol consumption
  1. Tuberculosis
  2. Laryngeal cancer
  3. Oesophageal cancer
  4. Liver cancer
  5. Uncertain neoplasm
  6. Colon cancer
  7. Lung cancer
  8. Rectal cancer
  9. Other cancer
  10. Lip, oral cavity and pharynx cancer
  11. Stomach cancer
  12. Other anaemias
  13. Purpura and other haemorrhagic conditions
  14. Other metabolic disorders
  15. Diabetes melitus
  16. Less common psychiatric and behavioural conditions combined
  17. Epilepsy
  18. Transient cerebral ischaemic attacks
  19. Cataract
  20. Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis
  21. Cardiomyopathy
  22. Intracerebral haemorrhage
  23. Sequelae of cerebrovascular disease
  24. Hypertensive heart disease
  25. Essential (primary) hypertension
  26. Cerebral infarction
  27. Complications of heart disease
  28. Stroke, not specified
  29. Occlusion and stenosis of cerebral arteries
  30. Occlusion and stenosis of precerebral arteries
  31. Other cerebrovascular diseases
  32. Chronic ischaemic heart disease
  33. Less common circulatory diseases combined
  34. Unspecified chronic bronchitis
  35. Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  36. Pneumonia
  37. Alcoholic liver disease
  38. Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver
  39. Other inflammatory liver diseases
  40. Abscess of anal and rectal regions
  41. Gastro−oesophageal reflux disease
  42. Gastric ulcer
  43. Other diseases of digestive system
  44. Other diseases of liver
  45. Pancreatitis
  46. Other local infections (skin/subcutaneous tissue)
  47. Osteonecrosis
  48. Gout
  49. Other arthrosis
  50. Abnormal results of function studies
  51. Malaise and fatigue
  52. Other ill−defined/unspecified mortality causes
  53. Unknown/unspecified morbidity causes
  54. Fracture of shoulder and upper arm
  55. Fracture of femur
  56. Fracture of rib(s)/sternum/thoracic spine
  57. Less common injury, poisoning and other external causes combined
  58. Intentional self−harm
  59. Falls
  60. Transport accidents
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