Alcohol-related deaths in the US double in 20 years

2024-11-20 09:01:00, Shëndeti CNA

Alcohol-related deaths have increased in the United States, nearly doubling, over 20 years, and a growing number of victims are women, according to a new study.

"Our study found significant gender differences in alcohol-related death rates," said senior author Yiota Kitsantas, head of population health and social medicine at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) College of Medicine.

"While men had higher overall death rates, women experienced a greater relative increase, which may reflect changing social norms and the alcohol industry's increased targeting of women through marketing campaigns."

The researchers said their findings, published recently in the American Journal of Medicine, point to significant health challenges that may require targeted interventions.

Obesity, diabetes and liver damage compound these challenges, increasing the rate of alcohol-related deaths, they added.

The co-author of the study, Dr. Charles Hennekens, said health care providers need to recognize that heavy drinking is a major risk factor for early death, heart attack and stroke.

A professor at the FAU College of Medicine, he added that screening for alcohol use in primary care settings is a must.

"Both globally and in the US, high levels of alcohol consumption are strongly associated with premature death and disability," he said in a press release of the meeting. "An immediate effect of alcohol is liver damage, and in the US, rising rates of obesity and diabetes also contribute to early liver damage."

The researchers noted that alcohol use and health effects vary significantly around the world.

They reported that Latvia had the highest annual consumption per capital in 2019 at 13.2 liters, followed by France at 12.2 and the US at 10.

Lativa also ranks third for total deaths. Despite high alcohol use, France had low rates of heart-related deaths but high rates of liver disease.

Underscoring the link between alcohol use, premature death and disease, the researchers noted in contrast that Russian men drink heavily and have higher rates of heart-related deaths.

"The difference between consuming small amounts of alcohol per day and larger amounts can be the difference between preventing and causing premature death," Hennekens said./ CNA