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| Index of Diseases and Conditions: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
If you are like many Americans, you drink alcohol at least occasionally. For many people, moderate drinking is probably safe. It may even have health benefits, including reducing your risk of certain heart problems. Moderate drinking is one drink a day for women or anyone over 65, and two drinks a day for men under 65.
Some people should not drink at all, including alcoholics, children, pregnant women, people on certain medicines and people with some medical conditions. If you have questions about whether it is safe for you to drink, speak with your healthcare provider.
Anything more than moderate drinking can be risky. Binge drinking - drinking five or more drinks at one time - can damage your health and increase your risk for accidents, injuries and assault. Years of heavy drinking can lead to liver disease, heart disease, cancer and pancreatitis. It can also cause problems at home, at work and with friends.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
The '''controversy over moderate drinking''' is an ongoing debate about the claimed benefit or harm to human health from moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages. Moderate consumption typically means the consumption of 1 to 3 drinks of an alcoholic beverage a day; the number varies with age and gender. There is wide consensus that over-drinking is harmful: ethanol damages human cells and Organ (anatomy)s such as the brain, liver and kidneys, and it weakens the immune system. Many studies show that consumption of up to 3 drinks a day have a 10% to 40% lower risk of coronary heart disease than those who abstain. Rimm et al predict a 24.7% decrease in the risk of coronary heart disease based upon 30g alcohol/day. (Rimm et al, 1999). An individual consuming 30g alcohol/day increase in high density lipoprotein cholesterol ("good" cholesterol") concentration of 3.99 mg/dl compared to an individual who abstains, an increase of 8.3%. The effect is higher in people with lower initial HDL levels. Apolipoprotein A I had a 6.5% increase. However, triglyceride concentrations increased by about 5.9%. Critics of moderate drinking claim that any benefits are far outweighed by the harms and that these benefits can be had by less risky means. Scientists also note that studies supporting the benefits of moderate drinking do not control for other factors, such as lifestyle differences between moderate drinkers and nondrinkers. There is evidence that moderate drinkers are more affluent than nondrinkers and as such lead lifestyles that are more conducive to good health in general. Research on the effects of moderate drinking is in its early stages. No long term studies have been done and control groups would be difficult to establish because of the many variables. Given the current state of the research, an editorial concludes in the December 1997 issue of the ''Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine'' that the recommendation ... [ Read More ]
Drink/Link Alcohol Moderation - Home study and phone counseling to reduce alcohol consumption. Results vary. Also breathalyzers and nutritionial supplements.
B. J. Gerlitz Forensic Consulting Inc. - Offering services for civil and criminal litigation, primarily involving alcohol consumption, available from Edmonton, Canada.
Common Sense Media: Kingdom of Loathing - Reviewer feels that the game is not suitable for children of any age, primarily because of the emphasis on alcohol consumption, and also because of the violence in the battles. User-contributed reviews mostly disagree.
Campaign for Alcohol Responsibility and Education - California non-profit organization whose purpose is reducing societal costs of alcohol consumption through education and awareness.
Chronic Effects of Alcohol - The relationship between consumption and deterioration in brain structure and function is described.
DUI Professional Blood Alcohol Analysis Software - Utility used to calculate blood alcohol content. Uses a calculator that prompts for input on type of drink, quantity, weight, time of consumption, gender and stomach contents.
National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - Dedicated to eliminating birth defects caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy and improving the quality of life for those individuals and families affected.
Forbes.com: Only Moderate Drinking Wards Off Stroke - A study published in Annals of Internal Medicine links higher consumption of alcoholic beverages among men to an increased risk of ischemic stroke. Moderate consumption, and consumption of red wine resulted in a lower stroke risk.
JAMA: Moderate Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Heart Failure Among Older Persons - Increasing levels of moderate alcohol consumption are associated with a decreasing risk of heart failure among older persons. Journal of the American Medical Association.
JAMA: Protective Effects of Moderate Alcohol Consumption on Ischemic Stroke - The protective effect of moderate consumption of alcohol was found in various populations. Journal of the American Medical Association.