American Review Study Suggests That Moderate Alcohol Consumption is Associated with a Reduced Risk of Mortality from All Causes

Consumption of alcoholic beverages is widely practiced across various cultures, but scientific evidence shows that its harmful use is associated with a range of health risks. A review of evidence analyzed the impacts of alcohol consumption on several health conditions, including mortality from all causes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and neurocognitive effects.

A recent study (1) compiled by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, an entity of the United States Government, systematically reviewed the evidence on the impacts of alcohol on health. The methodology followed strict standards for systematic review, including searching recognized databases, selecting studies with predefined quality criteria, and assessing the risk of bias (study quality) by independent reviewers, following the highest standard in terms of scientific evidence. The goal was to evaluate the relationship between moderate alcohol consumption and various health outcomes, based on high-quality studies and systematic reviews.

An important requirement of the study was to establish a comparison group that did not include both people who have never drunk and former drinkers, as this could create an "abstinence bias." This bias could lead to misleading results, as the reasons for abstinence can vary significantly between these two groups, including people who have never drunk for religious reasons, and others who may have stopped drinking due to health issues. This bias could create a misleading impression that the health of non-drinkers is worse than that of moderate drinkers. By excluding this bias from the selected studies, the chances of obtaining more reliable results regarding the effects of moderate use on health are greater.

The results highlighted significant associations between alcohol consumption and various health conditions, including:

• Mortality from all causes: Moderate alcohol consumption was associated with a 16% reduction in the risk of mortality from all causes compared to abstainers (RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.81-0.87).
• Cardiovascular diseases: Moderate consumption was associated with a lower risk of myocardial infarction (RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.68-0.90) and ischemic stroke (RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.86-0.90).
• Cancer: Moderate alcohol consumption was associated with a 10% increase in the risk of breast cancer (RR 1.10, 95% CI 1.02-1.19), while evidence for other types of cancers remained inconsistent.
• Neurocognitive effects: The impact of alcohol consumption on neurocognition still shows conflicting results, with some evidence suggesting a negative relationship with cognitive decline.

Recommendations:

• Avoid excessive consumption: Moderation is essential to minimize the associated health risks.
• Attention to specific conditions: Individuals with pre-existing conditions such as liver diseases (cirrhosis, hepatitis), cardiovascular diseases (hypertension, heart failure), gastrointestinal diseases (gastritis, pancreatitis), neurological disorders (epilepsy), psychiatric conditions (depression, anxiety), diabetes, kidney diseases, or autoimmune diseases should avoid alcohol consumption, as it can affect treatment and the progression of these conditions, as well as pose additional health risks.
• Awareness of risks: It is important to inform the population about the impacts of alcohol consumption, even in moderate amounts.

These recommendations are particularly relevant for individuals in high-risk situations, such as those with cardiovascular diseases or a family history of cancer. The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes that no amount of alcohol is absolutely safe. Pregnant women and minors, in particular, should completely avoid alcohol consumption due to the significant risks associated with these conditions.

References:

1. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Review of Evidence on Alcohol and Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2025.