Alcohol and overall health outcomes

The evidence on alcohol and overall health outcomes other than death is briefly reviewed. Four studies deal with hospital admissions, three with leaves of absence, one with visits to physicians and one with subjective health status. Findings imply that moderate alcohol intake is good and heavy intake bad for health in general. Compared with abstaining, the benefits of moderate drinking are small, but the damage caused by heavy drinking is considerable. Some findings suggest that wine is more beneficial than beer or spirits. However, the evidence is not conclusive. More research is needed to clarify the optimal levels of intake, the effects of different patterns of drinking, and the possible differences between various types of beverages.