Alcoholism

The Relationship Between Alcohol and Mortality Rates

When compared with the general population, a study in Italy revealed those who drink heavily have a higher likelihood of both cancer and general mortality rates. Heavy alcohol consumption is responsible for about five percent of all global illnesses.

According to a recent Medical News Today article, Domenico Palli and his colleagues collected data on over 2,000 alcoholics. These alcoholics were mostly middle-aged and were treated from April 1985 to September of 2001.

The study revealed that there is a correlation between alcohol consumption and mortality. They found that alcoholics were at a greater risk for mortality for such diseases as diabetes and diseases of the cardiovascular, immunological, nervous, respiratory and digestive systems.

Those cancers that were associated with consuming alcohol at the highest rates were cancers in the larynx, liver, oral cavity and cancer of the pharynx. There was also an increased risk for other types of cancers including esophagus, breast, pancreas and rectum cancer. Just a little more than one glass of alcohol can increase your risk of developing 14 types of cancer and 60 other diseases.

Doctors and clinicians need to be aware of the necessity of early detection when it comes to harmful and hazardous consumption. One test for the general population that is beneficial in revealing alcohol abuse is The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Alcohol prevention awareness needs to promote the facts of the damage alcohol can cause.