Side Effects of Alcoholism
Warren Thompson, MD, FACP, Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Medical and R Gregory Lande, DO, FACN, Clinical Consultant, Army Substance Abuse Program, Department of Psychiatry, Walter Reed Army Medical Center School summarized the following side effects of alcoholism in a June 6, 2007 article published by emedicine.com. Annually, 85,000 deaths are attributable to alcohol at a cost of $185 billion. [1-2] Almost half of these deaths are attributable to alcohol-related injury. Four percent of the global burden of disease is attributable to alcohol. This figure rises to 7% in North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia and to 12% in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Worldwide, the side effects of alcoholism are responsible for a percentage of a number of conditions, as follows:
For cardiovascular disease, the effect of heavy alcohol consumption varies in different studies. Moderate alcohol consumption (1-2 drinks/d) reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease in men and women by approximately 30%. [3,4,5] Yet, the person's drinking pattern appears to have an effect on cardiovascular disease. Drinking with meals may reduce the risk, while binge drinking increases risk -- even in otherwise moderate drinkers. Moderate alcohol consumption appears to increase the risk of breast cancer in women. Total mortality is reduced with moderate alcohol consumption but not with heavy alcohol consumption; the cardiovascular benefit is offset by cirrhosis, cancer, and injuries. The amount of alcohol associated with the lowest mortality appears to be 2 drinks per day in men and 1 drink or fewer per day in women. Moderate alcohol consumption reduces the risk of developing diabetes, but heavy alcohol consumption may increase the risk. The cardiovascular benefit becomes important in men older than 40 years and in women older than 50 years. The risk of hypertension is increased with 3 or more drinks daily. No benefits are noted in people at low risk for coronary disease (men <40 y and women <50 y). Recent data suggest an increase in coronary calcification with moderate alcohol consumption in young adults.[6] This effect was exacerbated by binge drinking. Of men aged 18-25 years, 60% binge drink. Binge drinking is defined as 5 alcoholic drinks for men (4 for women) in a row. Binge drinking significantly increases the risk of injury and contracting sexually transmitted diseases. Women who binge drink at this age are at higher risk of becoming pregnant and potentially harming an unborn child. Any amount of alcohol consumption during pregnancy is risky. More than three quarters of all foster children in the United States are children of alcohol- or drug-dependent parents. From 60-70% of reported domestic violence incidents involve alcohol. Half of all violent crime is alcohol or drug related. Overall, morbidity and mortality are related strongly to smoking, and people who drink heavily are less likely to quit smoking. Additionally, persons who begin smoking early are more likely to develop problems with alcohol and expose themselves to th side effects of alcoholism. With regard to pregnancy and the side effects of alcoholism, fetal alcohol syndrome is the leading known cause of mental retardation (1 in 1000 births). More than 2000 infants annually are born with this condition in the United States. Alcohol-related birth defects and neuro-developmental problems are estimated to be 3 times higher. Even small amounts of alcohol consumption may be risky in pregnancy. A 2001 study by Sood et al reported that children aged 6-7 years whose mothers consumed alcohol even in small amounts had more behavioral problems.[7] In a study from 2003, Baer et al showed that moderate alcohol consumption while pregnant resulted in a higher incidence of offspring problem drinking at age 21 years, even after controlling for family history and other environmental factors. [8] All women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant should avoid alcohol. Sources for Information on Side Effects of Alcoholism: Excerpt from article by Warren Thompson, MD, FACP, Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Medical School, http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic98.htm, with the following references: [1] Mokdad AH, Marks JS, Stroup DF, Gerberding JL. Actual causes of death in the United States, 2000. JAMA. Mar 10 2004;291(10):1238-45 [2] Saitz R. Clinical practice. Unhealthy alcohol use. N Engl J Med. Feb 10 2005;352(6):596-607. [3] Doll R, Peto R, Boreham J, Sutherland I. Mortality in relation to alcohol consumption: a prospective study among male British doctors. Int J Epidemiol. Feb 2005;34(1):199-204. [4] Knoops KT, de Groot LC, Kromhout D, Perrin AE, Moreiras-Varela O, Menotti A. Mediterranean diet, lifestyle factors, and 10-year mortality in elderly European men and women: the HALE project. JAMA. Sep 22 2004;292 :1433-9. [5] Thun MJ, Peto R, Lopez AD, et al. Alcohol consumption and mortality among middle-aged and elderly U.S. adults. N Engl J Med. Dec 11 1997;337(24):1705-14. [6] Pletcher MJ, Varosy P, Kiefe CI, Lewis CE, Sidney S, Hulley SB. Alcohol consumption, binge drinking, and early coronary calcification: findings from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study. Am J Epidemiol. Mar 1 2005;161(5):423-33. [7] Sood B, Delaney-Black V, Covington C, et al. Prenatal alcohol exposure and childhood behavior at age 6 to 7 years: I. dose-response effect. Pediatrics. Aug 2001;108(2):E34. [8] Baer JS, Sampson PD, Barr HM, et al. A 21-year longitudinal analysis of the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on young adult drinking. Arch Gen Psychiatry. Apr 2003;60(4):377-85. If you have any questions on the side effects of alcoholism, please contact us. Related Information
Causes of AlcoholismSymptoms of Alcoholism Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Getting Help and Support More than side effects of alcoholism on our alcoholism signs page
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