Is there a risk-free amount of alcohol? What changed in recent evidence
The Global Burden of Disease study in The Lancet (2018), the WHO statement (2023) and why the idea of “a glass of wine for the heart” has been questioned
Translated from the Albanian original by the editors. Shqip
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Raki at a wedding, wine at lunch, beer with friends. Alcohol is part of our culture, and for many people a glass is a sign of hospitality. For years various studies suggested that moderate drinking might even be good for the heart. Is it so?
The 2018 study
In 2018 the Global Burden of Disease study, one of the largest research projects in public health, published in The Lancet an analysis of data from 195 countries. The researchers concluded that, when all diseases and injuries are taken into account, the level of alcohol consumption that minimises health risk is zero. Some small benefits for coronary heart disease in some age groups were cancelled out by increased risk of cancer, accidents, tuberculosis and other diseases.
Why older studies seemed to say otherwise
One of the main problems with older studies was that the group of "abstainers" often included former drinkers, people who had given up alcohol because of illness. So the non-drinking group looked less healthy than it really was, and moderate drinkers looked healthier by comparison. Newer studies that correct this problem find much smaller benefits or none.
Hospitality is not measured in glasses. You can offer coffee, tea or water with the same heart.
The WHO statement
In 2023 the WHO European office stated that there is no level of alcohol consumption that is safe for health, especially regarding cancer risk. Alcohol is classified as a carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
How to read this
This does not mean that one glass at a celebration is as dangerous as smoking. The risk from small amounts is small. But it does mean that the reason "drink for your health" is no longer supported by the evidence. If you choose to drink, choose little and not every day.
How to cut down
- Set alcohol-free days each week.
- Alternate each glass with a glass of water.
- Do not drink to cope with stress or to sleep; there are better and safer ways.
- Do not feel obliged by social pressure. "Thank you, not today" is a sufficient answer.
- Seek help if you find it hard to stop or if alcohol is affecting work, family or health.
Sources and further reading
- GBD 2016 Alcohol Collaborators (2018). Alcohol use and burden for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2016: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet, 392(10152), 1015–1035. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31310-2
- World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (2023). No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health. who.int
