Scientific Perspectives - Dr. Rick Westermeyer, M.D.
6) Apart from the heart, alcohol has physiologic negatives on virtually every major body system. When reading in the lay press one could easily conclude that most medical research in recent years has focused on the positive medicinal value of alcohol on the heart. In reality, a totally different picture emerges. A computer research of all English language research papers in the scientific literature in the last three years revealed 355 published articles of which 48 were review articles. Review article summarize and condense research findings on a related topic. After carefully reading the abstracts of the 48 review articles, 44 were clearly dealing with the toxic affects of alcohol and of the remaining 4 which death with the cardiac benefits each clearly included in the negative side effect. Here is only a sampling of statements taken from these abstracts.
"Alcohol
is a neurotoxin associated with significant morbidity and mortality...it
may raise blood pressure, damage the myocardium, precipitate arrhythmias
and damage the developing fetal heat." (Sceepers, B.C. "Alcohol
and the Brain." British Journal of Hospital Medicine, 1997; 57:
543-51)
"It is well recognized that alcohol increases the risk of injury." (Guohua, L. "Alcohol and injury severity." Journal of Trauma 1997; 42:562-69)
"Alcohol can lead to potentially hazardous hypoglycemia..." (Meeking, D.R. "Alcohol ingestions and glycemic control." Diabetic Medicine 1997; 14:279-83)
"...alcohol related problems include liver disease, dementia, confusion, peripheral neuropathy, insomnia, seizure disorders, poor nutrition, incontinence, diarrhea, myopathy, inadequate self care, macroaocytosis, depression, fractures, and adverse reactions to medications." (Fink, A. "Alcohol related problems in older persons." Archives of Internal Medicine 1997; 157:242-3).
"Alcohol has consistently been related to risks of sqaumous cell cancer..." (Thomas, D.B. "Alcohol as a cause of cancer." Environmental Health Perspectives 1995; 103:153-60) "The influence of alcohol on sexual behavior is part of popular knowledge." (Donovan, C. "A review of the literature examining the relationship between alcohol use and HIV related sexual risk-taking in young people." Addiction 1997; 90:319-28)
Other studies showed the relationship between alcohol and osteoporosis, chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers, decreased immune response, aggressive behavior, fetal malformation, spontaneous abortion and this is only a sampling! It is difficult to see how anyone could review the data and conclude that the beneficial properties of alcohol outweighs the toxicology even when taken in moderate amounts.
One must consider the addictive potential of alcohol with its resultant social and economic implications. It is recognized that approximately 10% of the individuals who begin drinking will become sufficiently addicted to be considered problem drinkers or alcoholics. In a Gallup poll, 1out of 4 American report their families being negatively impacted by alcohol abuse. The economic loss of worker productivity is measured in the billions of dollars. A medical pharmacology textbook states: "Alcohol is discussed here separately because its wide and abuse leads to more behavioral and organic toxicity than any other agent. The social and therapeutic problems thus generated are an unavoidable concern of every practitioner...Ethyl alcohol is an addictive drug and it would no doubt immediately be placed under the jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration, if it were first discovered today." (Meyers, F.H. Review of Medical Pharmacology. Lange 1980; 242-46)
In conclusion, let's suppose you went to your physician and were offered a medication with the following informed consent:
"This is a drug which can reduce your chance of heart attack by 30%, but I must warn you that this drug is a direct brain and liver toxin. It will increase your chance of contracting cancer, contribute to osteoporosis, ulcers, and hypertension. There's also a 5-10% chance that you will become hopelessly addicted to this drug which could easily lead to losing your job and destroy your marriage. I must also inform you that there are some essential risk-free alternatives that are even more effective in preventing heart disease, but I think you'll really like the euphoric feeling you get when you take this drug."
First, the Federal Drug Administration would never allow a drug with this degree of risk-to-benefit profile to ever be marketed. Second, if they did, what patient in their right mind would accept such a prescription and ever trust the judgment of that physician again? It is probably fair to say that many people who claim to be using alcohol for medicinal purposes were already recreational drinkers who were happy to find science supporting their lifestyle.
From a purely medical perspective, it is hard to justify it. The medical journal Cardiology Clinics summarizes this as follows: "Given the complex nature of alcohol disease relationships, alcohol consumption should not be considered a primary preventive strategy." (Gaziano, J. "Diet and Heart Disease: the role of fat, alcohol, and antioxidance." Cardiology Clinics 1996; 14:69-83)
By Dr. Rick Westermeyer, M.D.
Dr. Westermeyer is a practicing physician at the Portland Adventist Medical Centre in Portland, Oregon, U.S.A.
by Dr. Rick Westermeyer, M.D.