A recent study claims that drinking ten glasses of wine a week can shorten your life by two years. Even if you have a glass of wine daily, it raises the risk of heart disease and stroke significantly. The likelihood of early death increases with increase in the consumption of alcohol, the Cambridge-led researchers said.
Experts claim that, for a 40-year-old, each unit above guidelines takes away, on average, about 15 minutes of their life. Lead author Dr Angela Wood said: ‘The key message of this research is that if you already drink alcohol, drinking less may help you live longer and lower your risk of several cardiovascular conditions.’
Alcoholism is the sixth biggest cause of illness in 50s and 60s, with numbers rising. Even moderate drinking can cause hypertension, a common cause of heart attack and stroke.
Talking about the study, Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, Winton Professor for the Public Understanding of Risk at Cambridge University, said ‘This is a massive and very impressive study,’ he said. ‘The paper estimates a 40-year-old drinking four units a day above the guidelines has roughly two years lower life expectancy, which is about one twentieth of their remaining life.’