Alcohol Dependency and Long-Term Health

Alcohol dependency can have devastating effects on long-term health. In fact, conservative estimates link over 100,000 deaths per year to alcohol, in the United States alone. Due to the effects of alcohol dependency on the body and mind, alcohol dependent individuals find even their lifespans become affected—living up to 15 years fewer than their non-addicted peers.

Alcohol Dependency and Long-Term Health

From psychological struggles to damaged organs and lowered immunity, alcohol dependency puts individuals at risk for a host of life-threatening circumstances and health risks. Here are just a few of the ways that alcohol dependency affects long-term health and longevity.

Alcohol-Related Heart Problems
Alcohol consumption creates stress on the circulatory system and heart by raising blood pressure as well as the levels triglyceride or “bad” cholesterol, in turn creating greater risk for heart attacks. Additionally, long-term heavy alcohol use can lead to an enlarged heart and even congestive heart failure

Alcohol and the Liver
The primary purpose of the liver is to remove toxins from the blood stream. Even moderate drinking increases the amount of work that the liver must perform. The excess work the liver performs in response to long-term and heavy consumption of alcohol causes the liver to accumulate fatty cells, to swell, and to become less efficient. Prolonged alcohol usage will result in the liver becoming cirrhotic, hardening, and may even leave it unable to function, leading to illness and possibly death.

Drunk Driving Accidents
Alcohol impairs both judgment and motor coordination. About 45% of all automobile fatalities in the United States each year are a result of this impairment of body and mind.

Suicide Risk and Alcohol Dependency
Alcohol has a profound effect on cognitive abilities, reducing reasoning ability and impulse control. Taken together, these two factors make it more likely that a person will act on momentary impulses that would otherwise be rationally dealt with. As such, alcohol is involved in almost one-third of all suicides in the United States.

Cancer, Disease and Alcohol Dependency
The stress alcohol consumption places on the body has a detrimental impact on the immune system. By compromising the immune system, individuals who consume alcohol are at greater risk for immune-related diseases such as cancer, serious infections, or other frequent illnesses.