The harmful effects of alcohol on the human body are increasingly known: today, a new, very complete study from Oxford shows this in all its evidence. Genetic analysis (really large-scale) suggests that alcohol consumption dramatically accelerates aging, shortening lifespans. telomeres.
Results of absolute importance, if you consider that alcohol is among the most used recreational substances (but let's say drugs): this is why evaluating its precise impact on health has always been an objective of research. Currently, from the various studies already published we know that alcohol permanently damages DNA, directly causes cancer, contributes to cognitive decline and early dementia and can "age" the performance of the brain for up to 10 years. We didn't also need proof of biological aging, right? I mean, that beer will never taste the same again to me.
Alcohol, direct damage to telomeres
Telomeres are sequences of DNA that act as “caps” at the ends of chromosomes. A fraction of these “junk” sequences are lost with each cell division, and telomeres eventually wear out enough to impact functional DNA. This causes the cell to stop dividing, which is why telomere length contributes to many of the biological indicators of aging.
In the new study, researchers at Oxford Population Health examined the link between alcohol consumption and telomere length using data from more than 245.000 people. The team used a genetic technique known as Mendelian randomization (MR), which evaluates changes in certain genes. In this case, obviously, they looked at genes known to be related to alcohol use and disorders.
The results
There is a clear link between high alcohol intake and shorter telomeres: drinking 32 units of alcohol (about 11 glasses of wine) per week produces a shortening of telomeres equivalent to about three years of aging, compared to drinking only 10 units.
The results of this MR analysis also support observational studies on the weekly consumption habits reported by the participants. Which show similar results: those who drank more than 29 alcohol units (about 10 glasses of wine) per week showed a shortening of telomeres equivalent to one to two years of aging, compared to those who drank less than six units of alcohol (about two glasses of wine) per week.
In any case, this alcohol-telomere association seems to be truly significant only starting from 17 units per week: this does not even save the classic "glass for lunch and dinner", which mythology considers beneficial. It is enough to drink more than 5 glasses a week for the damage to begin.
Now what?
The trials are strong, but they offer some signs of hope. The damage, for example, was found in all habitual drinkers, but not in people who never drank or who stopped drinking. In other words, an occasional period of revelry doesn't ruin you for life. Another useful clue: one gene in particular, AD1HB, appears to have a greater impact on alcohol metabolism. Good to know for possible future therapies.
“These findings support the thesis that alcohol, when consumed at certain levels, directly influences telomere length,” says Dr. Anya Topiwala, lead author of the study.
“It is a risk factor that can cause several serious age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. Our findings provide information for doctors and patients who want to reduce the harmful effects of alcohol. With an important message: reducing alcohol consumption could also have benefits."
The research was published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry (and I link it here).
