Alcohol provokes the development of many diseases, but has little or no effect on heart disease. This unexpected conclusion was made by researchers from the UK after conducting a long-term study, the results of which were published in the journal European Psychiatry .
The aim of the study, conducted by British scientists, was to find out how much alcohol abuse shortens the life expectancy of people and what diseases it can lead to. For 12.5 years, British physicians monitored the condition of thousands of patients. In total, 233,710 people who did not abuse alcohol and 23,371 people who drink, in other words, alcoholics, were invited to participate in the project.
It turned out, to the surprise of most medical professionals, that alcoholics hardly ever suffer from heart disease. It is much less common for alcoholics to have heart attacks and, in general, any problems with the cardiovascular system. Besides, alcoholics almost never have cataracts.
However, in general, experts have calculated that alcohol abuse, on average, reduces life expectancy by 7.6 years. In addition , 27 diseases were identified, often affecting the body of people who suffer from alcoholism. Among these ailments are diseases of the liver, digestive and nervous systems.