Drinking to de-stress? Think again

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A new review has found that alcohol is a major cause of a wide range of diseases and injuries. According to the researchers, more than 60 medical conditions and injuries are entirely attributable to alcohol consumption. The study concluded that the harmful effects of drinking outweigh any potential health benefits, although some damage may be mitigated if people reduce or stop drinking.

The review comprehensively analyzed the relationship between alcohol consumption and disease burden using the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Classification of Diseases (ICD). Researchers reassessed the risks associated with alcohol-related diseases and injuries.

The analysis found that WHO’s ICD currently lists more than 60 diseases and injuries as being 100 percent caused by alcohol. These include alcoholic cardiomyopathy, liver cirrhosis and other alcohol-related liver diseases, as well as fetal alcohol syndrome. Researchers explained that most of these conditions are the result of long-term heavy drinking.

Alcohol was also linked to a higher risk of infectious diseases. According to the review, drinking increases the likelihood of tuberculosis, pneumonia, HIV/AIDS and various sexually transmitted infections. Researchers said alcohol weakens liver function and suppresses immune responses, reducing the body’s resistance to infection.

The effects of alcohol were also found across a broad range of noncommunicable diseases. Researchers highlighted five major categories associated with drinking:

– Cancer, including cancers of the mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, colon, rectum, liver, breast and cervix

– Cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, cardiomyopathy, ischemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation and stroke

– Type 2 diabetes

– Neurological and psychiatric disorders including dementia and epilepsy

– Digestive diseases such as liver cirrhosis and pancreatitis

Alcohol also increased the risk of accidents and violence. Researchers noted that even small amounts of alcohol can impair balance, reaction time and judgment, raising the risk of traffic accidents, falls and violent incidents that may harm both the drinker and others.

However, the researchers emphasized that some alcohol-related health damage may be reversible. Short-term risks such as sexually transmitted infections and injuries tend to decrease quickly after people stop drinking. Impaired immune function may also partially recover following abstinence.

For chronic conditions such as cirrhosis and heart disease, complete reversal is difficult once the disease has progressed. Still, reducing alcohol consumption may help slow disease progression. Some cardiovascular damage may improve within days or weeks after quitting alcohol.

The review also suggested that brain damage caused by heavy drinking may partially recover after long-term abstinence, though the risk of dementia may persist.

Lead author Sinclair Carr said the overall conclusion from the accumulated evidence was “cautious but clear” — alcohol is a major cause of disease and injury, and its harms outweigh its potential benefits.

The findings were published in the international academic journal Addiction under the title “A review of the relationship between dimensions of alcohol consumption and the burden of disease: 2026 update including Mendelian randomisation studies.”

This article from Kormedi.com, Korea’s top health care and medical portal, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.