Scientific Reports published a new study on low level alcohol consumption and cancer mortality in February 2021.
"The effect of light-to-moderate alcohol consumption on cancer risk remains controversial. We examined the association between low-level alcohol consumption and cancer mortality. A cohort study included 331,984 Korean adults free of cancer at baseline who underwent a comprehensive health checkup examination. Participants were categorized into never drinkers, former drinkers, and current drinkers who were further divided into light, moderate, heavy, and very heavy drinkers."
"This cohort study of young and middle-aged men and women found a positive association between alcohol consumption and the risk of cancer mortality. When lifetime abstinence history was considered, alcohol consumption was positively associated with cancer mortality in a dose-dependent manner, even with light drinking. This association remained significant after adjusting for potential confounders and even when changes in alcohol consumption and confounders during follow-up were treated as time-varying covariates. Our findings support a linear and independent relationship between the level of alcohol consumption and cancer mortality. Given that low-volume drinking is very common, even a modest increase in cancer risk will have a significant public health impact."
Read the full study from Scientific Reports
Ko, H., Chang, Y., Kim, HN. et al. Low-level alcohol consumption and cancer mortality. Sci Rep11, 4585 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-84181-1