Having just one or two alcoholic drinks per night significantly increases the risk of stroke later in life, a large study shows.
Experts from Oxford University said their study of 500,000 people finally dispels the “myth” that drinking light protects health.
They found that one or two drinks a day increased the risk of stroke by 10 to 15 percent over the next ten years, and four drinks a day by 35 percent.
For years, many experts have argued that moderate alcohol consumption has a protective effect – noting studies showing that a strange glass of wine or a pint of beer reduced the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
But critics claim that those studies were flawed – because they included alcoholics who have become tee-total or those who don’t drink due to other health problems.
Oxford University experts said their study of 500,000 people finally clears the “myth” that drinking light protects health
So the evidence seemed to suggest that light drinkers were at a lower risk than those who drank nothing at all.
The new study, published in the medical journal Lancet, solved this problem by using a genetic study of people in China.
A third of people in China have a genetic whim, meaning they can’t tolerate a drink.
Their genes mean they are unable to get rid of a toxic by-product of alcohol, making them nauseous and flushing after even a small amount of booze.
The researchers tested the genes of people in ten parts of China – then tracked their drinking.
Those who did not drink due to their genetic mutation were rated as a reliable marker of alcohol consumption because they simply could not tolerate the drink.
The other two-thirds of the participants who did not have the same genetic whim were able to drink freely – and the men drank an average of four drinks a day and had a much higher risk of high blood pressure and stroke.
Chinese women drank very little, regardless of their genetic makeup.
But researcher Professor Sir Richard Peto, co-director of the University of Oxford Clinical Trial Service Unit, said he was confident the findings applied to both British men and women.
“When women drink like men, they die like men,” he said.
He emphasized that the findings were not intended to make people stop drinking – and said smoking would have a much greater impact on the risk.
Sir Richard said, “I don’t think people will change what they drink because of these results.
“But we have the truth about a story that has been a myth for centuries.” Study leader Professor Zhengming Chen, also from Oxford, said, “It is claimed that moderate drinking is potentially beneficial, especially for cardiovascular disease.
This study shows really robust evidence to disprove this claim. The main message is that this protective effect is not real.
“Even moderate alcohol consumption increases the risk of a stroke.” He added, “The findings for a heart attack were less clear, so we plan to gather more evidence.” The study supports the official drinking guidelines issued by chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies in 2016, who warned that there is no ‘safe’ level of drinking.
Leading scientists who initially criticized that guideline said they could change their minds in the light of the new findings.
David Spiegelhalter, a professor of public understanding of risk at Cambridge University, said, “I’ve always been fairly convinced that moderate alcohol consumption was protective against cardiovascular disease, but now I have my doubts.”
He added, “This is a very impressive study that shows that men who happen to have a combination of genes that make them stop drinking alcohol have a lower risk of stroke than those without these genes.
“The fact that this is not the case for Chinese women, who tend not to drink regardless of their genes, suggests that this effect is caused by the alcohol rather than the genes themselves.” He added, “The increase in the overall risk of stroke was about 38 percent for every 40 grams of alcohol consumed per day; that’s five British units, or more than half a bottle of wine.
“To give this some perspective, it’s about the opposite effect of taking a statin.”
The NHS recommends that adults drink no more than 14 units a week – that’s 14 separate shots of spirit or six pints of beer or a bottle and half a wine
DO YOU DRINK TOO MUCH ALCOHOL? THE 10 QUESTIONS THAT REVEAL YOUR RISK
A screening tool widely used by medical professionals is the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Tests). The 10-question test was developed in conjunction with the World Health Organization and is considered the gold standard for determining whether someone has problems with alcohol abuse.
The test is reproduced here with permission from WHO.
To complete it, answer each question and write down the corresponding score.
YOUR SCORE:
0-7: You are within the sensible drinking range and have a low risk of alcohol-related problems.
More than 8: Indicate harmful or dangerous drinking.
8-15: Medium risk. Drinking at your current level carries the risk of creating problems with your health and life in general, such as work and relationships. Consider cutting down (see below for tips).
16-19: Higher risk of complications from alcohol. Cutting yourself can be difficult at this level because you may be dependent, so you may need professional help from your primary care physician and / or a counselor.
20 years and older: Possible dependence. Your drinking is already causing problems and you could very well be dependent. You should definitely consider stopping gradually or at least cutting back on your drinking. You should seek professional help to determine your dependence and the safest way to stop alcohol.
In severe dependence, medically assisted withdrawal or detox may be required in a hospital or specialist clinic. This is due to the risk of serious withdrawal symptoms from alcohol consumption during the first 48 hours that require specialist treatment.
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