Research warning about alcohol consumption and health risks has been published in the Lancet , one of the most authoritative medical journals.

The study analyzed data from around 600,000 drinkers in 19 high-income countries, including Italy.

The conclusion was that the limits set for “safe” alcohol consumption are still too high . The authors, in fact, have highlighted how a weekly consumption of more than 100 grams negatively affects life expectancy .

100 grams of alcohol correspond to 12.5 alcoholic units which translates into 5 or 6 glasses of wine or small mugs of beer ; a quantity equal to about half of the recommended limits in Italy, Spain and Portugal.

The limits considered safe in the United States are even higher, while the new British guidelines on alcohol consumption, which recommend not to exceed 6 drinks per week, are aligned with these data.

The subjects included in the study had no cardiovascular problems; the relationship between alcohol consumption and all-cause mortality, severe cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular disease in general was assessed .

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The results of the study on the relationship between alcohol consumption and mortality

According to the results of the study, alcohol consumption of more than 100 grams per week is associated with a higher risk of stroke, coronary heart disease excluding myocardial infarction, heart failure, fatal hypertensive disease, fatal aortic aneurysm .

An exception is, in fact, myocardial infarction in which there was a reversal of the trend since, again according to the results of the research, there was a slightly lower risk in those who had declared a consumption of more than 100 g per week.

But the most interesting data is perhaps what concerns life expectancy in general : compared to those who reported having consumed 0 to 100 grams of alcohol per week, subjects who claimed to drink from> 100 to ≤200 g per week,> 200 to ≤ 350 g per week, or over 350 g per week had a shorter life expectancy at forty years of approximately 6 months, 1-2 years, or 4-5 years, respectively.

So, alcohol yes or no?

The age -old question of alcohol yes, alcohol no has been under discussion for several years now. For a long time it has been argued that moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a lower cardiovascular risk, especially if we are talking about red wine, preferably young and, of course, of good quality.

Some studies subsequently began to question this concept, but above all, the dose-response associations of alcohol consumption with the various types of cardiovascular disease have not yet been understood .

This study is therefore interesting because it sets a precise limit , using a rather large sample of drinkers with no previous cardiovascular diseases. The data obtained supports the adoption of lower limits for alcohol consumption than those recommended in most current national guidelines.

And then to the question: ” alcohol yes or no ?” we could answer yes, when it is a pleasure and is limited to very small quantities; not if you get tired, especially when it becomes a vice.