Common habit can increase the risk of death by 24%, says study

A large study presented at the American College of Cardiology's annual scientific meeting (ACC.26) analyzed data from 340,924 adults and found a clear association between high alcohol consumption and a higher risk of death.

Among those classified in the highest drinking group, the risk of dying from any cause was 24% higher compared to people who never drank or consumed alcohol only occasionally. The risk of death from cancer was 36% higher, while the risk of death from cardiovascular disease increased by 14%.

How was the alcohol study carried out?

The researchers used information from the UK Biobank, a database that tracks the health of hundreds of thousands of people in the United Kingdom.

Participants answered questionnaires about diet and alcohol consumption and were divided into four groups: people who did not drink or consumed alcohol only occasionally and those with low, moderate or high consumption.

The volunteers' health was monitored for more than 13 years, on average. The researchers then compared the consumption pattern with the deaths recorded over this period.

In the study, consumption considered high corresponded to more than 40 grams of pure alcohol per day among men and more than 20 grams among women. This represents approximately three standard daily doses for men and one and a half doses for women, according to the criteria used by the researchers.

Drinking a lot increased the risk regardless of the drink

The most consistent result appeared among the largest consumers. In this group, it didn't matter whether the preference was for wine, beer, cider or spirits: high consumption was associated with higher mortality.

In relation to people who never or rarely drank, participants with the highest intake had:

24% higher risk of death from any cause; 36% higher risk of death from cancer; 14% higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

As this is an observational study, these numbers represent statistical associations. This means that the research cannot confirm that alcohol, alone, was responsible for all these differences.

Wine, beer and spirits had different results

At low and moderate levels of consumption, researchers found a difference according to the type of drink.

Beer, cider and spirits were associated with higher mortality, while low or moderate wine consumption appeared linked to a lower risk in some analyses.

Among moderate wine drinkers, for example, there was an association with a 21% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease compared to people who never or rarely drank.

Even a low consumption of beer, cider or spirits was associated with a 9% higher risk of cardiovascular death.

This does not mean that drinking wine protects the heart.

The researchers themselves point out that people who drink wine may have different characteristics than those who prefer other drinks. In the study, this group tended to have better quality food and healthier lifestyle habits, in addition to consuming alcohol more frequently during meals.

Although the authors made adjustments for socioeconomic factors, lifestyle habits, family history and metabolic conditions, unidentified differences may continue to interfere with the results.

Study has important limitations

Another point is that alcohol consumption was reported by the participants themselves at the beginning of the research. Changes in habits over more than 13 years of follow-up were not necessarily recorded.

Furthermore, UK Biobank participants tend to be healthier than the general population, which may limit the applicability of the results to other groups.

The results presented in ACC.26, therefore, help to understand the relationship between alcohol and mortality, but should not be interpreted as a recommendation to start consuming a certain drink.

Alcohol is also associated with colorectal cancer

Other recent work reinforces concerns about high consumption.

A study published in 2026 in the scientific journal Cancer analyzed the relationship between lifelong alcohol consumption and colorectal cancer. The researchers concluded that high and persistent intake may increase the risk of the disease.

The work also found evidence that giving up alcohol consumption may be related to a lower risk of colorectal adenomas, lesions that may precede some cases of cancer.

So the less alcohol the better?

The main result of the new study is clearer when looking at high consumption: the greater the alcohol intake, the more evident the risks, regardless of the type of drink.

The results related to wine in smaller quantities need to be interpreted with caution. As the research is observational, it is not possible to conclude that wine is responsible for the lower cardiovascular risk found among these participants.

Therefore, the data does not justify starting to drink wine in search of health benefits.

For those who already consume alcohol, reducing the amount and avoiding excessive consumption continue to be the most consistent conclusions given the available evidence. And people with certain illnesses, who use medications that are incompatible with alcohol, are pregnant, or have a history of addiction may need to avoid alcoholic beverages altogether.

Your body may give you these 10 signs before a cancer diagnosis

Unexplained weight loss, persistent tiredness and changes in appetite are among changes that deserve attention. These symptoms do not necessarily mean cancer, but when they persist or deviate from the usual pattern, they should be evaluated by a doctor.