Scientists of the University Hospital of Greifswald (Germany) explained why among the sober groups there is a slight increase in the risk of death compared to those who use a small amount of alcohol. According to the results of the study published in the PLOS Medicine magazine, the reason for this may be a number of factors, including alcohol problems in the past, smoking and general health problems. The permanent trident of the increased risk of death was not observed, which refutes the myth of the benefits of low doses of alcohol.
Previous studies showed that people who refrain from alcohol have a higher mortality rate than those who use alcohol in small or moderate quantities. In the new work, scientists analyzed the data of 4028 adult Germans who participated in a standardized interview conducted from 1996 to 1997, when participants were from 18 to 64 years. Respondents reported on the number of alcohol consumed 12 months before the interview, and also provided other health information, including drug use. Mortality was evaluated in 20 years.
Among the research participants 447 (11.1 percent) did not use alcohol within 12 months to the initial interview. From these conversers 405 (90.6 percent) consumed alcohol in the past, and 322 (72.04 percent) had one or more other risk factors for higher mortality, including a disorder related to alcohol use (35.4 percent), daily smoking (50 percent) or chronic health problems (10.51 percent).
125 persons abstaining alcohol and not having risk factors did not have a statistically significant difference in total mortality from cardiovascular diseases or cancer compared with those who used low or moderate alcohol quantities. According to scientists, these results do not confirm the recommendations to drink alcohol as a state of health.