Drinking alcohol accelerates the shortening of the ends of chromosomes, or telomeres, and thus increases the risk of cancer, warned Italian scientists at this year’s meeting of the American Cancer Research Union.
Telomeres are protective DNA sequences at the ends of chromosomes. They are very important to the genetic stability of cells. They shorten with each cell division, which affects the aging process of the entire body.
Alcohol abuse increases oxidative stress and inflammatory processes – mechanisms that accelerate telomere shortening. In turn, telomere shortening increases the risk of cancer, which led scientists from Milan to hypothesize that people who drink a lot and have short telomeres more often suffer from cancer.
To find out, Dr. Andrea Baccarelli and his colleagues tested the DNA of 59 alcohol addicts and 197 alcohol drinkers in varying amounts depending on the situation. Participants in both groups were matched for age, eating habits, physical activity, work-related stress levels, and environmental conditions.
They found that telomere length is significantly reduced in heavy drinkers – alcoholics have almost half the length of telomeres compared to nondrinkers.
As emphasized by the authors of the report, the difference in telomere length in drinkers is very clear, which proves the strong influence of alcohol on our body and explains the increased risk of cancer development in alcoholics. (PAP)