Tag Archives: alcohol

What’s your poison? Alcohol linked to higher risk of pancreatic cancer

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The research, led by the UN World Health Organization’s centre for cancer research, pooled data from nearly 2.5 million people across Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America.

It revealed a “modest but significant” association between alcohol consumption and the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, regardless of sex or smoking status.

“Alcohol consumption is a known carcinogen, but until now, the evidence linking it specifically to pancreatic cancer has been considered inconclusive,” said Pietro Ferrari, senior author of the study at the international cancer research agency and Head of Nutrition and Metabolism Branch at the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

The pancreas is a vital organ that produces enzymes for digestion and hormones that regulate blood sugar. Pancreatic cancer is among the most lethal cancers, largely due to late diagnosis.

All drinkers are at risk

The IARC study found that each additional 10 grams of alcohol consumed per day was associated with a 3 per cent increase in pancreatic cancer risk.

For women consuming 15 to 30 grams of alcohol daily – about one to two drinks – the risk rose by 12 per cent compared to light drinkers. Among men, those who drank 30 to 60 grams daily faced a 15 per cent increased risk, while men drinking more than 60 grams daily saw a 36 per cent higher risk.

“Alcohol is often consumed in combination with tobacco, which has led to questions about whether smoking might confound the relationship,” Mr. Ferrari said.

“However, our analysis showed that the association between alcohol and pancreatic cancer risk holds even for non-smokers, indicating that alcohol itself is an independent risk factor.”

Further research is needed, he added, to better understand the impact of lifetime alcohol consumption, including patterns such as binge drinking and early-life exposure.

A growing global challenge

Pancreatic cancer is the twelfth most common cancer globally, but it accounts for 5 per cent of cancer-related deaths due to its high fatality rate.

In 2022, incidence and mortality rates were up to five times higher in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand, and Eastern Asia than in other regions.

‘No’ to alcohol? More young people are choosing not to drink alcohol in UK

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Young people in England aren’t just drinking less alcohol but most of them are never taking up alcohol at all, and that the increase is widespread among them, said a new study published in BMC Public Health.

Researchers at University College of London analysed data from the annual Health Survey for England and found that the proportion of 16-24 year olds who don’t drink alcohol has increased from 18 per cent in 2005 to 29 per cent in 2015.

The authors found this trend to be largely due to an increasing number of people who had never been drinkers, from 9% in 2005 to 17% in 2015. There were also significant decreases in the number of young people who drank above recommended limits (from 43% to 28%) or who binge drank (27% to 18%). More young people were also engaging in weekly abstinence (from 35% to 50%).

Dr Linda Ng Fat, corresponding author of the study said: “Increases in non-drinking among young people were found across a broad range of groups, including those living in northern or southern regions of England, among the white population, those in full-time education, in employment and across all social classes and healthier groups.”

He has attributed it to the fact that non-drinking may be becoming more mainstream among young people which could be caused by cultural factors or peer pressure. However, the trend is not found among ethnic minorities, those with poor mental health and smokers suggesting that the risky behaviours of smoking and alcohol continue to cluster.

The researchers examined data on 9,699 people aged 16-24 years collected as part of the Health Survey for England 2005-2015 looking at changes in the health and lifestyles of people across England.

The authors analysed the proportion of non-drinkers among social demographic groups and health sub-groups, along with alcohol units consumed by those that did drink and measured their levels of binge drinking for the study.

 

Life Style Diseases

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The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting a study namely ICMR-INDIAB involving all States and Union Territories – both urban and rural population for ascertaining the exact number of Diabetic patients. 15 States have been covered so far and the prevalence of diabetes varies from 4.3% in Bihar to 13.6% in Chandigarh.

According to report published by International Diabetes Federation (IDF; 6th Edition, 2013), number of people with diabetes (20-79 years) in Urban setting of India were about 30.5 millions in 2013.

As informed by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), current estimates from one-time cross sectional studies conducted in different regions of country indicate that the prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) is between 8-10 percent in urbanand 3 to 4 percent in rural India.

As informed by ICMR the estimated prevalence of cancer cases in India during 2013, 2014 and 2015 are 2934314, 3016628 and 3101467 respectively.

Nationwide scientific estimation of number of patients of Chronic Kidney Diseases (CKD) has not been carried out. However, in some of the small population based studies, it was found to be in 0.79 % in North India and 0.16% in South India.

National Center for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR), Bengaluru is running Hospital and Population based Cancer Registries. As informed by ICMR some studies have been conducted on NCDs. A study is commissioned to ICMR on Burden of Non-Communicable Diseases and Associated Risk Factors for India (BOD-NCD).

The factors responsible for increase in Lifestyle Diseases (NCDs) are unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, harmful use of alcohol, overweight, obesity, tobacco use, etc.

Public health is a State subject, however, under National Health Mission(NHM), financial and technical support is provided to States/UTs to strengthen their healthcare systems including setting up of / upgradation of public health facilities, based on the requirements posed by the States/UTs in their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs).

Government of India is implementing National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) for interventions up to District level under the National Health Mission. Under NPCDCS, diagnosis and treatment facilities are provided through different levels of healthcare by setting up NCD Clinics in District Hospitals and Community Health Centres (CHCs). Intervention of Chronic Kidney Diseases (CKD) has also been included in NPCDCS for proper management.

For early diagnosis, Population-based Screening of common NCDs viz. Diabetes, Hypertension and Common cancers (Oral, Breast, Cervical) is initiated under NHM utilizing the services of the Frontline- workers and Health-workers under existing Primary Healthcare System. This process will also generate awareness on risk factors of common NCDs.

Under strengthening of Tertiary Care for Cancer Centre (TCCC) Scheme, Government of India is assisting States to set up / establish State Cancer Institute (SCI) and Tertiary Care Cancer Centres (TCCCs) in different parts of the country. Support under the National Health Mission (NHM) is also being provided to States for provision of dialysis services free of cost to the poor under Pradhanmantri National Dialysis Programme (PNDP).

The Central Government, through its hospitals augments the efforts of the State Governments for providing health services in the country. Under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), 6 new AIIMS have been set up and upgradation of identified medical colleges has been undertaken which will also improve health care facilities.

The Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare), Smt Anupriya Patel stated this in a written reply in the Lok Sabha here today.