Alcohol, drinking pattern, and chronic disease

In the journal Nutrients, a review discusses the inconsistent recommendations on alcohol consumption and its association with chronic disease, highlighting the need for an evidence-based consensus.
The review authors state that a recommendations on alcohol consumption are controversial. On one hand, many non-randomised studies defend that moderate consumption has a beneficial cardiovascular effect or a lower risk of all-cause mortality. On the other hand, alcohol is associated with an increased risk of cancer, neurological diseases, or injuries, among others. For years, efforts have been made to answer the question regarding the safe amount of alcohol intake, but controversies remain. Observational studies advocate moderate alcohol consumption following a Mediterranean pattern (red wine with meals avoiding binge drinking) as the best option for current drinkers. However, agencies such as the IARC recommend abstention from alcohol as it is a potent carcinogen.
In this context, more randomised trials with larger sample size and hard clinical endpoints are needed to clarify the available evidence and provide clinicians with support for their clinical practice, the authors conclude.
Source: Barbería-Latasa M, Gea A, Martínez-González MA. Alcohol, Drinking Pattern, and Chronic Disease. Nutrients. 2022 May 7;14(9):1954.