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Staying Healthy
Alcohol-related deaths on the rise
Research we're watching
The number of alcohol-related deaths in the United States doubled between 1999 and 2017, a change that included an 85% increase in alcohol-related medical emergencies and deaths specifically among women. The analysis of U.S. death certificate data, published online in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, found that the number of death certificates mentioning alcohol rose from 35,914 to 72,558 over that time span. Deaths from alcohol included everything from liver disease to overdoses (of alcohol alone, or in combination with other drugs). The biggest increases occurred among people ages 25 to 34, but affected people of all ages. Women are more likely than men who drink the same amount to develop alcohol-use disorder, as well as cardiovascular disease, and liver disease. Drinking alcohol regularly also may elevate breast -cancer risk.
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