Alcohol Poses Higher Health Risks For Young People Than Older Adults: Study In Lancet

According to the study, adults aged 40 and older without underlying health conditions may see some benefits from alcohol consumption if they have between one and two standard drinks per day.

Alcohol consumption poses higher health risks for young people than older adults. The strictest guidelines are targeted toward males between ages 15 to 39 years, who are at the greatest risk of harmful alcohol consumption worldwide. 

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Highlights

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In 2020, 1.34 billion people consumed harmful amounts of alcohol (1.03 billion males and 0.312 billion females).

Males aged 15 to 39 years were the largest segment of population drinking unsafe amounts of alcohol in every region.

Alcohol consumption did not provide any health benefits for young adults aged 15 to 39 years.

According to the study, 59.1 per cent of individuals consuming harmful amounts of alcohol in 2020 were aged 15 to 39 years. Of these, 76.7 per cent were male.

The authors noted in the study that the recommended amount of alcohol for people aged 15 to 39 years before risking health loss was 0.136 standard drinks per day.

Drinking a small amount of alcohol may provide some benefits for adults aged 40 years and above.

Alcohol consumption poses higher health risks for young people than older adults, according to a new study published in The Lancet. The first study to report alcohol risk by geographical region, it suggests that global alcohol consumption recommendations should be based on age and location. The strictest guidelines are targeted toward males between ages 15 to 39 years, who are at the greatest risk of harmful alcohol consumption worldwide. 

According to the study, adults aged 40 and older without underlying health conditions may see some benefits from alcohol consumption if they have between one and two standard drinks per day. There may also be a reduced risk in cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes in these people. 

Alcohol Consumption Estimates In 204 Countries Considered 

The researchers used estimates of alcohol use in 204 countries to calculate the number of people who consumed harmful amounts in 2020. As many as 1.34 billion people were found to consume harmful amounts of alcohol in 2020. 

Which Is The Largest Segment Of Population Drinking Unsafe Amounts Of Alcohol?

Males aged 15 to 39 years were the largest segment of the population drinking unsafe amounts of alcohol in every region. Moreover, drinking alcohol does not provide any health benefits and presents many health risks for this age group.

About 60 per cent of alcohol-related injuries occur among people in this age group, including motor vehicle accidents, suicides, and homicides.

Older People May Benefit From Drinking Small Amounts Of Alcohol

In a statement released by The Lancet, Dr Emmanuela Gakidou, a senior author on the paper, said young people should not drink, but older people may benefit from drinking small amounts. She added that while it may not be realistic to think young adults will abstain from drinking, the researchers do think it is important to communicate the latest evidence so that everyone can make informed decisions about their health.

Risk Of Alcohol Consumption On Different Health Outcomes

The researchers used the 2020 Global Burden of Disease data for males and females aged 15 to 95 years and older between 1990 and 2020, in 204 countries and territories, to understand the risk of alcohol consumption on 22 health outcomes. These include injuries, cardiovascular diseases, and cancers. 

With the help of this data, the researchers estimated the average daily intake of alcohol that minimises risk to a population. They also estimated how much alcohol a person can drink before taking on excess risk to their health compared to someone who does not drink any alcohol. 

Recommended Alcohol Intake For People Aged 15 To 39 Years

According to the study, the recommended amount of alcohol for people aged 15 to 39 years before risking health loss was 0.136 standard drinks per day. This is a little more than one-tenth of a standard drink. The recommended amount of alcohol for females aged 15 to 39 years was 0.273 drinks per day. This is about a quarter of a standard drink per day. 

What Is A Standard Drink?

One standard drink is defined as 10 grams of pure alcohol, the study said. This is equivalent to a small glass of red wine (100 mL) at 13 per cent alcohol by volume, a can or a bottle of beer (375 mL) at 3.5 per cent alcohol by volume, or 30 mL of whiskey or other spirits at 40 per cent alcohol by volume.

Alcohol Consumption May Be Beneficial For Older Adults Without Underlying Health Conditions

For adults aged 40 years and older without any underlying health conditions, drinking a small amount of alcohol may provide some benefits, the analysis suggests. For instance, alcohol consumption may reduce the risk of ischemic heart disease (heart problems caused by narrowed heart arteries), stroke, and diabetes, in adults aged 40 years and above. 

Safe Alcohol Consumption Levels For Adults Aged 40-60 Years In 2020

In 2020, safe alcohol consumption for individuals aged 40 to 64 years ranged from about half a standard drink per day to almost two standard drinks. The safe alcohol consumption levels for men aged 40 to 64 years ranged from 0.527 drinks per day to 1.69 standard drinks per day in 2020. Meanwhile, for females, the safe alcohol consumption levels for females aged 40 to 64 years ranged from 0.562 standard drinks per day to 1.82 standard drinks per day in 2020.

Small amounts of alcohol consumption in populations over 40 without underlying conditions may be associated with improved health outcomes, the researchers suggest in the study. This is true particularly in populations that predominantly face a higher burden of cardiovascular diseases.

When Were Risks Of Health Loss From Alcohol Consumption Reached?

The risks of health loss from alcohol consumption for individuals aged 65 years and above were reached after consuming a little more than three standard drinks per day, in the year 2020. The risks of health loss in men were reached after 3.19 drinks per day, and for females, the risks were reached after 3.51 drinks per day.

Alcohol-Related Health Risks In People Aged 55 To 59 Years

There were variations in risks from alcohol consumption because the distribution of disease burden for a given age group varied substantially across regions. This was observed particularly in individuals aged 40 years and above.

For instance, among people aged 55 to 59 years in North Africa and the Middle East, 30.7 per cent of alcohol-related health risks were due to cardiovascular disease, 12.6 per cent were due to cancers, and less than one per cent were due to tuberculosis. Meanwhile, for individuals aged 55 to 59 years in central sub-Saharan Africa, 20 per cent alcohol-related health risks were due to cardiovascular disease, 9.8 per cent alcohol-related health risks were due to cancer, and 10.1 per cent alcohol-related health risks were due to tuberculosis.

Therefore, consumption levels for individuals aged 55 to 59 years before risking health loss were 0.876 drinks, or almost one standard drink per day in north Africa and Middle East, and 0.596 drinks, or about half a standard drink per day in central sub-Saharan Africa.

What Is The Recommended Alcohol Intake?

The study said that the recommended alcohol intake for adults remained low between zero and 1.87 standard drinks per day, regardless of geography, age, sex, or year.

Dana Bryazka, the lead author on the paper, said even if a conservative approach is taken and the lowest level of safe consumption is used to set policy recommendations, that implies that the recommended level of alcohol consumption is still too high for younger populations. She explained that the researchers' estimates, based on currently available evidence, support guidelines that differ by age and religion. 

Bryazka further said that understanding the variation in the level of alcohol consumption that minimises the risk of health loss for populations can aid in setting effective consumption guidelines, supporting alcohol control policies, monitoring progress in reducing harmful alcohol use, and designing public health risk messaging.

Young Men At Highest Risk Of Harmful Alcohol Consumption

The researchers calculated the proportion of the population consuming alcohol in amounts exceeding these thresholds by location, age, sex, and year, using the estimates based on currently available evidence. This serves as a guide for targeting alcohol control efforts. 

According to the study, 59.1 per cent of the individuals consuming harmful amounts of alcohol in 2020 were aged 15 to 39 years, and 76.7 per cent were male. As many as 1.03 billion males and 0.312 billion females were drinking harmful amounts of alcohol. 

The study said that harmful use of alcohol was particularly concentrated in young males in Australasia, western Europe, and central Europe.

Dr Gakidou said although the risks associated with alcohol consumption are similar for males and females, young males stood out as the group with the highest level of harmful alcohol consumption. She explained that this is because a larger proportion of males compared to females consume alcohol and their average level of consumption is also significantly higher. 

Limitations To The Study

Some of the limitations with the paper include the fact that patterns of drinking were not examined, because of which the study did not distinguish between individuals who infrequently engage in heavy episodic drinking and those who consume the same amount of alcohol for several days. Moreover, the researchers made the estimates based on self-reported data on alcohol consumption, which could have bias.

Due to pandemic-related delays with routine data collection during the Covid-19 pandemic, the researchers could not include data on alcohol consumption during that period. This is likely to have affected the estimates.