Healthcare authorities are constantly trying to curb the number of people who binge drink, particularly the young. The scene of young adults throwing down shots and downing pints of lager and cider is a common sight in many bars, yet those who are doing so are placing themselves at risk of serious harm, a new study reveals.
Research published in the Cancer Detection and Prevention journal shows that excessive consumption of alcohol elevates the risk of a person developing cancer, as well as more commonly known consequences such as liver disease.
According to the experts, health insurance customers who drink heavily are at a greater risk of contracting several cancers including those of the oesophagus, stomach, colon, liver, pancreas, lung and prostate, compared with abstainers or occasional drinkers.
Richard Evans, head of communications at the World Cancer Research Fund UK, said this evidence is "convincing" and should persuade people to limit the number of drinks they have or the volumes in which they consume alcohol.
"What we recommend as a charity is that if you choose to drink then you should aim to drink no more than one drink a day for a woman and two for a man," he explained.
Mr Evans added that the safest amount of alcohol that people with health cover can drink is none at all, as their risk is then not elevated.
Considering that between 1971 and 2006 the age-standardised incidence of cancer increased by around 22 per cent in males and 44 per cent in females, more needs to be done to dissuade binge drinking, he added.
"Generally there isn't an awareness that alcohol increases the risk of cancer even though the evidence is convincing," Mr Evans concluded.
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment