Excessive alcohol intake leads to cancer and premature aging—study
POSTED April 23, 2010 - 11:49 | POSTED BY neha gupta
Last edited by Harpreet Bhagrath on April 23, 2010 - 13:20
Excessive alcohol intake is linked to oxidative stress and inflammation which expedites the shortening of telomere, a part of the DNA sequence at the end of the chromosomes, vital for the genetic stability of cells.
The length of our chromosomes shortens progressively with increase in age, notably at the telomere region which is important for normal cell division. Thereby, every time a cell divides, they shorten, until they get too old to divide.
People with shorter telomeres are more prone to premature aging and cancer development, suggest researchers.
"Heavy alcohol users tend to look haggard, and it is commonly thought that heavy drinking leads to premature aging and earlier onset of diseases of aging. In particular, heavy alcohol drinking has been associated with cancer at multiple sites," said Andrea Baccarelli, who led the research.
"All the cells in our body have a biological clock in telomeres," Baccarelli added.
Details of the study
The study looked at 59 people who were heavy drinkers, with around 22 percent of them consuming more than 3 alcoholic drinks a day.
Another 197 people with wavering consumption habits were also studied, and out of these only 4 percent consumed more than 3 drinks each day.
All the participants were similar in age and other factors like diet, exercise schedule, and stress exposure.
For the study, the serum DNA of both the group participants was measured and analyzed by the researchers.
Revelations of the study
The telomere length was found to be notably short in the people who consumed heavy amount of alcohol.
The length was twice as long in the non-abusers (0.79 units) as compared to the ill drinkers (0.41 units), the study revealed.
"The decrease we found in telomere length is very sharp, and we were surprised to find such a strong effect at the cellular level," Baccarelli said.
While an occasional drink of alcohol makes very little difference in the overall health, high alcohol intake qualifies the drinker as a “C” grade drinker, leading to significant aging and cancer of the liver, brain, fetus, and breasts.
The results were presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's 101st annual meeting.
