According to BS.CKII Truong Bao Anh Minh, Thu Duc Regional Hospital, the abuse of alcoholic beverages is silently leaving many serious consequences.
According to the World Health Organization, alcohol causes more than 3 million deaths each year, accounting for about 5.3% of total global deaths. About 400 million people over 15 years old are living with alcohol use disorders, of which more than 200 million are alcoholics. In 2019 alone, 4.4% of newly diagnosed cancers are related to alcohol.
Notably, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified alcohol into group 1, the group of carcinogens in humans, along with tobacco and asbestos. Alcohol is associated with at least 7 common cancers such as liver, breast, colorectal, and esophageal cancers.
In Vietnam, alcohol consumption is among the highest in the Asia-Pacific region. Traffic accidents related to alcohol account for about 30–40% of deaths from traffic accidents, showing that this is not only a personal problem but also a public health burden.
Ethanol is metabolized in the liver, producing acetaldehyde and oxidizing radicals that cause cell damage. The consequence is fatty liver, hepatitis, cirrhosis, and even liver cancer. Many patients only detect the disease when there are severe complications such as ascites or liver failure.
Also according to Dr. Anh Minh, alcohol also increases blood pressure, causes heart rhythm disorders, increases the risk of stroke and myocardial infarction. It is estimated that in 2019 there were about 44,000 deaths due to cardiovascular disease related to alcohol.
In endocrine patients, especially people with diabetes, alcohol can cause late hypoglycemia, blood sugar fluctuations, worsening fatty liver and metabolic syndrome. In addition, alcohol also affects fertility, reduces testosterone in men and increases the risk of breast cancer in women.
Reducing alcohol is not just a general advice but a non-drug treatment measure. Not drinking alcohol while driving, not forcing drinking and proactively changing behavior are practical steps to protect personal and community health.
