EFFECTS OF DRINKING ALCOHOL ON HEALTH

HARMFUL EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL

1. Increased risk of road traffic accidents: Road traffic injuries account for 1.25 million deaths per year. They are the leading causes of death in young age group (15-29 years). Drink driving is a major risk factor for road traffic accidents. Driving under the influence of alcohol accounts for about one-third of all deaths in road accidents. It should be noted that the victims are most often the passengers, pedestrians or children, who have not consumed alcohol.

2. Increased risk of cancer: Alcohol drinking is significantly associated with cancer of seven sites in body. These are throat, larynx (voice box), esophagus (food pipe), liver, colon, bowel and breast. Drinking just 50 grams of alcohol per day can increase the risk of mouth cancer by seven times (as compared to non-drinkers). About 6% of all deaths due to cancer can be attributed to alcohol intake. This study was recently published in the Journal Addiction. The full test of the article can be accessed at the following link: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/add.13477/epdf

3.  Increased risk of stroke: Alcohol consumption increases the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, atrial fibrillation and liver disease; all of these increase the risk of stroke. Alcohol consumption also leads to higher death rates in patients with stroke. People drinking alcohol more than twice a week (irrespective of the amount) have a 3-fold higher risk of death due to stroke as compared to non-drinkers.

4. Memory impairment: Consuming too much alcohol leads to severe memory impairment and dementia in later life. Alcohol causes brain shrinkage (atrophy), malnutrition, deficiency of thiamine and vitamin B12; all of which contribute to memory loss.

5. Damage to peripheral nerves: Alcohol use, if regular and heavy, can lead to damage of nerves in arms and legs, leading to numbness, weakness, burning, pain, etc.

6. Seizures (fits or convulsions): Heavy alcohol drinking can lead to seizures. Sudden withdrawal in a person dependent on alcohol can also lead to seizures.

7. Headache: Alcohol consumption can lead to hangover (with a prominent symptom of headache); worsening of migraine; or headache as a direct effect of alcohol (due to vasodilation and dehydration).

8. Liver disease: Alcohol is a leading cause of liver disease. This includes fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis.

9. Pancreatitis: Inflammation and damage of pancreas occurs in about 5% of alcoholics after 5-10 years of alcohol drinking.

10. Sexual dysfunction: Heavy alcohol drinking can lead to sexual dysfunction in about 75% of people. The most common symptoms are premature ejaculation, low sexual desire and erectile dysfunction.

11. Marital discord and divorce: Alcoholism adversely affects relationships and marriage. Alcoholics are two times more likely to have a divorce as compared to non-alcoholics. In addition, suspicion, infidelity and arguments are more common with if one or both spouses consume alcohol. People consuming alcohol also have delayed marriage.

12. Increased crime rate: Alcohol consumption leads to increase in crime rate. Most states report that alcoholism is involved in 70-85% of crimes, especially against women. These include violence, sexual exploitation, rape, kidnapping, murder, robbery, etc.

13. Increased death rate: 15 people in India die everyday due to alcohol related effects, which means every 96 minutes, one person dies due to alcohol use.

BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL

I have enumerated the harmful effects above. I am sure there are many people (especially the ones who drink), who are eager to know the beneficial effects. There are some benefits of alcohol too.

1. Feeling of euphoria and elation: Alcohol has a depressant effect on brain. So, drinking makes one carefree, elated and free from all worries. However, these effects are for short term and are seen with small amounts of alcohol. Heavy alcohol intake leads to sleepiness and confusion.

2. Reduced rate of heart attack: Moderate alcohol consumption may reduce the risk of heart attack by increasing the amount of good cholesterol (HDL). However, exercise can also have the same effect. At present, American Heart Association does NOT advise people to start drinking, if they do not already drink alcohol.

3. Increased sexual desire: Alcohol intake may reduce the inhibition and increase the sexual desire; however, it reduces the testosterone level and hence, the performance. So, the overall effect of alcohol on sex is negative. In addition, alcohol may promote the risk-taking behavior such as not using condoms.

Conclusions

1. Alcohol has several harmful effects on health.

2. Alcohol leads to increased risk of heart disease, brain stroke, dementia, peripheral neuropathy, liver disease and cancers.

3. Alcohol is directly responsible for increased road traffic accidents and deaths.

4. Alcohol is involved in most of the crimes, especially against women.

5. Alcohol use in moderation may have protective effect on heart attacks.

6. Those who do not drink should NOT start drinking alcohol.

7. Those who drink should drink in moderation.

(Disclaimer: I do not drink alcohol)

Dr SUDHIR KUMAR MD (Medicine) DM (Neurology)

Senior Consultant Neurologist

Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad

Email: drsudhirkumar@yahoo.com

Phone: 0091-40-23607777/60601066

SLEEPING PILLS AND HEALTH HAZARDS

SLEEPING PILLS: Pills for Blissful Sleep or Early Deaths?

Sleeping pills (sedatives and hypnotics) are commonly used (and abused) by the general population. About 6-10% of adults use prescription sleeping pills. The usage of sleeping pills is higher among women and overweight people. Usage also increases with increasing age and in those with pain or depressive illness.

Insomnia (an inability to get normal sleep) is cited as the commonest reason to use sleeping pills. A normal adult requires 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Sleeping pills help increase the number of sleeping hours providing bliss to people with insomnia. But is this bliss coming at a cost? Are there any health hazards associated with sleeping pill usage? The current article is aimed at finding out the risks and hazards of sleeping pill usage.

Do sleeping pills lead to more deaths?

Several studies have shown that use of sleeping pills is associated with higher death rates. In a large study published in British medical Journal in 2012, more than 10,000 people who used sleeping pills were compared to about 24,000 people who did not use sleeping pills. They were followed up for 2.5 years. The hazard of death was three times more in people prescribed as little as 1-18 sleeping pill tablets per year. The hazard for death increased with higher number of prescriptions per year, and it was five times more for those using greater than 132 doses of sleeping pills per year. This increased risk of death was seen with older benzodiazepines (such as alprazolam, lorazepam, diazepam) as well as newer agents (such as zolpidem and eszopiclone). The comparison was done after accounting for smoking, obesity and other risk factors that could contribute to more deaths.

In another study from UK, about 35,000 patients who were prescribed sleeping pills were compared to about 70,000 people who were not prescribed sleeping pills (control group). They were followed up for a mean duration of 7.6 years and death rates were compared between the two groups. In the first year, twice as many deaths occurred in the “sleeping pills” group as compared to the “control” group. After excluding deaths in the first year, there were approximately four excess deaths linked to drug use per 100 people followed for an average of 7.6 years after their first prescription.

Sleeping pills and cancer

In a large study, the risk of cancer increased by 35% in people who were prescribed sleeping pills, as compared to those without sleeping pills. This puts “use of sleeping pills” as risky as “smoking cigarettes” said, study leader Daniel F. Kripke.

Sleeping pills adversely affect work output

Sleeping pills cause drowsiness and hang over and affect the performance in work the next day too. Concentration is impaired and memory loss may be seen.

Sleeping pills and falls

Sleeping pill use is linked to falls in elderly, which is an important cause of fractures in them.

Sleeping pills increase the risk of road traffic accidents

Use of sleeping pills lead to increased road traffic accidents. This is because it hampers the attention and concentration ability.

Above hazards prove that sleeping pills are unhealthy and dangerous. Long-term use of sleeping pills has never been studied in people and should be discouraged. If sleeping pills are used at all, it should be for a short period of a few days and with extreme caution.

Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM

Consultant Neurologist

Apollo Health City, Hyderabad
Email: drsudhirkumar@yahoo.com
Ph: 0091-40-23607777/60601066