How to live longer: Giving up alcohol could add up to 28 years onto your life

Lee Ryan opens up about alcoholism on Loose Women in 2019

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The Karolinska Institutet analysed life expectancy in people with “alcohol use disorder” in Denmark, Finland and Sweden. Over a 20-year period, death from all sorts of ailments were markedly higher in this drinking group. People may question what constitutes as an “alcohol use disorder”, how many drinks do you need to qualify for such a diagnosis? For the premise of their research, it only included patients who were hospitalised and diagnosed with alcohol use disorder.

However, there are lots of health risks associated with drinking alcohol, so what are they?

In the research paper, the scientists had written: “Increased alcohol consumption is associated with increased disease burden.”

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism warned that drinking too much – even on a single occasion – “can take a serious toll on your health”.

The brain

Alcohol consumption “interferes with the brain’s communication pathways”, which can disrupt mood and behaviour, making it harder to think clearly.

The heart

Drinking too much alcohol – even once – increases the risk of cardiomyopathy (the stretching and drooping of the heart muscle).

The NHS explained that cardiomyopathy “affects the heart’s ability to pump blood around the body”.

Damage to the heart muscle can also lead to an irregular heart beat, and heightens the chance of high blood pressure and stroke.

The liver

Moving down to the liver, alcohol abuse can lead to inflammation in the liver, causing:

• Fatty liver disease
• Alcoholic hepatitis
• Fibrosis
• Cirrhosis

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“Alcohol causes the pancreas to produce toxic substances that can eventually lead to pancreatitis,” added the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Pancreatitis is when blood vessels within the pancreas become inflamed and swollen, preventing proper digestion which can be dangerous.

Cancers

There is also a “strong scientific consensus” that there’s a link between alcohol consumption and several types of cancer. These are:

• Head and neck cancer
• Oesophageal cancer
• Liver cancer
• Breast cancer
• Colorectal cancer

The NHS added that long-term health risks associated with alcohol misuse include:

• Dementia
• Impotence
• Premature ejaculation
• Infertility

The UK’s guidelines suggest having two to three days alcohol free, every week.

In addition, people are advised to drink no more than 14 units in a week; for reference, a bottle of wine is around 10 units.

The Royal College of Nursing said: “Even small amounts of alcohol will impact on physical health and the way people behave.”

• One unit of alcohol is equivalent to:
• Half a pint of normal-strength lager
• A single (25ml) of spirit

Do note that a small glass (125ml) of wine contains around 1.5 units.

Bearing this in mind, as little as one to two units can:

• Speed up the heart rate
• Expand blood vessels

Four to six units:

• Affects brain and nervous system
• Judgements become impaired
• Decision-making is impaired
• Reaction time and co-ordination seriously affected

More than eight units can cause:

• Slurred speech
• Loss of vision clarity
• Slowed reaction time
• A hangover the next day
• Drowsiness
• Dehydration
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Indigestion

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