The population that abuses alcohol grows in the country – 08/29/2023 – Health

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Alcohol abuse grew in Brazil and in the world during the pandemic and, with it, there was also an increase in new hospitalizations and deaths related to alcohol.

In this issue, we are going to talk about the growth of this public health problem and the importance of preventive actions to combat alcohol abuse in Brazil.

Risks of alcohol abuse

Recently, the rate of the adult population that abuses alcohol in the country reached the sad mark of 4%, or 6 million people.

• This rate reaches 6.6% in men (against 1.7% in women) and is also higher in the Midwest and North regions (6.8%, against 4.5%, 3.4% and 3% in Northeast, South and Southeast regions, respectively).

The data are from an unprecedented survey carried out based on a national survey, the Covitel, together with a test by the WHO (World Health Organization) to assess the abusive consumption of alcoholic beverages in the country.

• What is abusive consumption: ingestion of more than seven drinks per week by women and more than 14 by men, according to the WHO definition.

• The standard dose, for WHO, is 10g of pure ethanol. In Brazil, a dose of drink is equivalent to 14g of pure alcohol, which corresponds to about 350 ml of beer (5% alcohol), 150 ml of wine (12% alcohol) or 45,000 distillates (40% alcohol).

Global data from the organization indicate that 40% of the world’s population over 15 years old consume alcoholic beverages, or about 2 billion people. Worldwide, alcohol is responsible for 3.3 million deaths annually.

Still according to the WHO, there are several health problems linked to excess alcohol:

The Covitel survey shows that 5.6% of Brazilians (3.5 million) have ever injured someone or injured themselves after consuming alcohol. During the pandemic, there was a 156% increase in deaths from mental or behavioral disorders caused by alcohol use in the city of São Paulo.

What is the reason for the increase?

In recent years, several countries have registered an increase in the consumption of alcoholic beverages, mainly in the younger population, where new diagnoses of mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety and sleep disorders, have also increased.

Yes but… The increase in alcohol use in Brazil is not new. Data from 2013 to 2019 taken from the PNS (National Health Survey) show that the prevalence of alcohol abuse in a period of less than 30 days rose from 13.7% to 17.1%.

Hospitalizations and deaths resulting from excessive alcohol consumption in women have also grown in recent years. Accidents, interpersonal violence and family challenges are some of the social consequences of this scenario.

How to prevent?

In addition to personal issues, alcohol abuse has a strong schooling and regional component and is, therefore, a public health problem.

• In Brazil, alcohol is one of the most significant risk factors for mortality, contributing to 5.5% of all deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

• According to the survey mentioned at the beginning, excessive alcohol consumption is higher in the population aged 45 to 54 years (6.9%), black/brown (4.7%) and with 9 to 11 years of schooling ( 5%). There was also an increase in the age group of 18 to 24 years (4.8%).

Therefore, it is crucial to educate the population about the risks associated with excessive alcohol consumption and challenge the norms that normalize this behavior. Among them is awareness of the consequences that alcohol can bring, especially if combined with other licit or illicit substances or behaviors considered high risk (such as drunk driving).

Another important factor is the health cost of alcohol abuse. The country annually spends around R$ 187.5 billion on direct and indirect expenses related to alcohol, which can also lead to early retirement or the loss of years of productive life.

It is also important to consider this in government-led alcohol abuse prevention programs and awareness campaigns.

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• Check out the Life of an Alcoholic blog: Alice, the author’s codename, shares weekly in Sheet reports of fears, losses and the truth about his trajectory with alcoholism. See here the texts published so far.

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SCIENCE TO LIVE BETTER

Health and science news and studies

• Scientists find longevity gene. Researchers at the University of Rochester, in the United States, mapped the gene responsible for the longevity of the naked mole rat, a type of mammal that lives buried in Africa and is known to live 41 years. By transplanting the gene into mice in the laboratory, they were able to reverse the cell aging process in the transplanted animals. The research, published in Nature, may indicate avenues for anti-aging research in humans.

• Sensor during sleep helps identify signs of Alzheimer’s. A device with a brain sensor could pick up early signs of Alzheimer’s during sleep. According to the instrument, developed at the University of Colorado, the device is effective in capturing memory activity that is triggered during sleep in patients with cognitive decline. The study was published in the journal Alzheimer’s Association.

• Vaccination reduces the severity of post-Covid sequelae. An analysis by the Mayo Clinic, an important health research center, identified that vaccination against the coronavirus is capable of reducing the severity and time of post-Covid sequels. The research had 477 participants evaluated from May 2021 to July 2022, and about half received the vaccine before their first infection. In those vaccinated, symptoms such as shortness of breath and cough three months after infection were much lower compared to those not vaccinated.