Alcohol deaths have more than doubled in recent years, especially among women

No amount of alcohol is good for the human body, previous research has shown — and now a new study has linked it to a rising number of deaths.

Over the course of two decades — from 1999 to 2020 — the number of alcohol-related deaths nearly doubled, according to a study from Florida Atlantic University (FAU)’s Schmidt College of Medicine.

Researchers analyzed data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER), finding that alcohol mortality rates went from 10.7 per 100,000 in 1999 to 21.6 per 100,000 in 2020.

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The biggest surge — a fourfold increase — was seen in people between the ages of 25 and 34.

The results were published in The American Journal of Medicine.

“Health care providers and their patients should be aware that in the U.S. as well as most populations throughout the world, individuals who consume moderate to large amounts of alcohol have the highest risks of premature mortality and morbidity,” study author Charles H. Hennekens, M.D., a professor of medicine at the FAU Schmidt College of Medicine, told Fox News Digital.

The main causes of alcohol-related death were cardiovascular disease — primarily due to heart attacks and strokes — as well as certain “common and serious cancers” as well as cirrhosis of the liver, Hennekens said.

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“Chronic, heavy alcohol consumption is also a major contributor to hospitalizations in state facilities due to a variety of deleterious outcomes, including alcoholic cirrhosis and alcoholic dementia,” he added.

Obesity and diabetes also increased the risk of alcohol-related deaths, the study found.

What amount is harmful?

The amount of alcohol consumption can have a significant impact on mortality risk, Hennekens noted.

“The difference between drinking small and moderate to large amounts of alcohol may mean a large difference between preventing and causing premature deaths,” the researcher said. “Liver damage is an immediate effect of alcohol consumption.”

Dr.  Ken Spielvogel, senior medical advisor for Carrara Treatment Wellness & Spa in Los Angeles, agreed that larger amounts of alcohol cause increased risks of hypertension, stroke, heart failure and other cardiac complications. 

Anything more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men can have “dramatic harmful effects,” he said — especially when combined with obesity and other co-morbidities.

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommends no more than one drink per day for women and anyone over the age of 65, and no more than two drinks per day for men.

Rise in alcohol deaths among women

Although men had the highest mortality rates overall, women saw the “largest proportional rise,” according to the study findings, with deaths going from 4.8 per 100,000 in 1999 to 12 in 2020.

Dr. Adam Scioli, chief medical officer at Caron Treatment Centers in Pennsylvania, said he was not surprised by the study results.

“Women progress more rapidly to developing alcohol use disorder and its associated health consequences.”

“These findings are consistent with what we’ve been seeing clinically for the last decade – increases in severe diseases and co-morbidities related to alcohol use,” Scioli, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.

This has been especially true among women, he noted.

“We’ve seen a significant increase in women — especially those between the ages of 20 and 55 — entering treatment at Caron in liver failure and on the list for liver transplant,” the expert said.

There has been a “dramatic increase” in the consumption of alcohol among women since the 90s, according to Scioli, which was accelerated during the pandemic.

He named a number of potential drivers of that increase, including the rise of “wine culture,” the marketing of alcohol to women and the infiltration of alcohol into family spaces — all of which put women at greater risk of “significant health consequences.”

Gender differences in alcohol effects

Women and men process alcohol differently due to their biology, Scioli noted.

“Because women have less alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity – an enzyme in the stomach and liver that helps break down alcohol – women are more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol on the liver, heart and brain,” the doctor said.  

Women are also more likely to suffer the health impacts of alcohol use sooner than men. 

“We call it the ‘telescoping’ effect, which means women progress more rapidly to develop alcohol use disorder and its associated health consequences,” Scioli said. 

Specifically, alcohol use puts women at greater risk of cirrhosis, alcohol-related liver diseases, congestive heart failure, heart attack and stroke, he noted. 

“Chronic alcohol use can also increase the risk of breast cancers and cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver and colon,” Scioli added.

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Spielvogel also pointed out the rise in obesity in the U.S. across all age groups and all genders.

“The combination of an increase in alcohol consumption on top of an epidemic of obesity exposes women to higher alcohol-related mortality,” he told Fox News Digital.

Potential limitations

Experts pointed out some potential limitations of the study.

“It is an analysis of cross-sectional data,” noted Spielvogel.

“There may be bias in analyzing this mix of population in a non-prospective randomized fashion, which is the gold standard for scientific research but not possible for analyzing this data,” he went on. 

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“Performing an analysis of a variety of cultures and age groups can lead to bias and inaccurate conclusions as well.”

Scioli noted that the main limitation of the study is that it is based on public health data — “which means it may actually be an under-representation of the problem.”

A call for change

Based on the findings from the study, the researchers call for “tailored interventions” to help curb alcohol-related deaths.

They also recommend additional research to help shape public health policies.

“To mitigate these risks, screening for alcohol use in primary care settings is essential,” Hennekens said.

Scioli agreed, calling for earlier intervention by health care professionals to identify individuals, especially women, who may have problematic drinking and refer them for assessment for a potential substance use disorder. 

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“We also need to make it easier and acceptable for individuals to get the help they need,” he added.

“Finally, we need to normalize sobriety and provide greater support to people who don’t drink alcohol.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association requesting comment.