American deaths from this alcohol-linked disease have doubled in 20 years
Mortality rates from alcohol-associated liver disease surged from 6.7 to 12.5 deaths per 100,000 people during the studied period, with a higher annual increase among women and concerning trends among young people.
American Indian or Alaska Native populations experienced the highest death rates, increasing from approximately 25 to nearly 47 per 100,000 between 1999 and 2022.
Mortality rates surged an annual average of 9 percent from 2018 to 2022, attributed to pandemic-related stressors like financial insecurity and social isolation, leading to increased drinking.
The findings indicate an urgent need for enhanced screening, improved addiction treatment access, and targeted interventions for high-risk groups, doctors say.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
25 minutes ago
- The Independent
FDA names former pharmaceutical company executive to oversee US drug program
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday named a longtime pharmaceutical executive to run the agency's drug program, the latest in a string of leadership changes at the agency. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary announced that Dr. George Tidmarsh, a cancer and pediatric specialist, will direct the agency's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, which regulates the safety and effectiveness of all U.S. drugs. His appointment comes a month after the center's acting director, Dr. Jacqueline Corrigan-Curay, announced her retirement. As the agency's top drug regulator, Tidmarsh will be charged with following through on a number of commitments made by Makary and his boss, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., including reviewing the safety of the abortion pill mifepristone. The FDA is also scrutinizing certain uses of other long-established drugs, including antidepressants and hormone-replacement drugs for menopause. Tidmarsh founded and led several pharmaceutical companies, including Horizon Pharmaceuticals, maker of an anti-inflammatory medication for arthritis. He has also served as an adjunct professor at Stanford University. The FDA's drug center is the agency's largest unit, with nearly 6,000 staffers responsible for reviewing the safety and effectiveness of new drugs and monitoring the use and marketing of older drugs. About 2,000 FDA staffers have been laid off as part of widescale cuts to the federal health workforce overseen by Kennedy. More than 1,000 others have taken buyouts or early retirement, while many others are reportedly searching for new jobs. The departures have threatened basic FDA operations, including the timely review of new drugs. FDA's drug center hasn't had a permanent director since January, when Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni stepped down days before President Donald Trump took office. Nearly all of the FDA's senior leadership positions have turned over in recent months, either due to retirements, resignations or actions by administration officials placing them on administrative leave. FDA center directors typically hold their positions for years or even decades, serving across multiple administrations, whether Republican or Democrat. In May, Makary named Dr. Vinay Prasad, a prominent critic of the FDA's COVID response, to run the agency's vaccine center. He was also named to the post of FDA chief medical officer. Prasad joined the agency after his predecessor, longtime vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks, was forced out in March. The head of FDA's tobacco center was also forced to step down in April. A permanent replacement has not yet been named. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Daily Mail
26 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Sweetener in DOZENS of 'healthy' low-calorie foods spikes risk of stroke, experts discover - as cases soar in young people
An artificial sweetener added to 'healthy' foods—including low-calorie ice cream and protein bars—could increase the risk of stroke and brain damage, research suggests. Erythritol, which is also commonly found in flavoured waters and popular diet products like Halo Top ice cream—has already been linked to digestive issues and heart problems. Now, scientists at the University of Colorado say even small amounts of the substance may promote blood clotting and inflammation, potentially raising the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes. Experts warned the findings could help explain the sharp rise in premature deaths from cardiovascular disease seen over the past decade. The study, led by vascular health specialist Professor Christopher DeSouza, involved exposing human brain cells to erythritol at levels equivalent to those found in a standard sugar-free drink such as Vitaminwater and Monster. Within three hours, the cells showed signs of inflammation and an increased tendency to clot. 'Our study adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that so-called "safe" non-nutritive sweeteners may come with hidden health risks,' said Prof DeSouza. 'Not only that, it demonstrates how erythritol in particular may raise stroke risk.' A previous study involving more than 4,000 people found that those with the highest levels of erythritol in their blood were significantly more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke within three years. In the new study, Professor Christopher DeSouza and colleagues at the University of Colorado exposed human brain cells to erythritol at concentrations similar to those found in a standard sugar-free drink such as Vitaminwater. Within three hours, the cells showed clear signs of inflammation and clotting. They also produced significantly less nitric oxide—a molecule that helps relax blood vessels—and more proteins that cause blood vessels to constrict. 'Big picture, if your vessels are more constricted and your ability to break down blood clots is lowered, your risk of stroke goes up,' said study co-author Auburn Berry. Professor DeSouza added: 'Our study adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that so-called "safe" non-nutritive sweeteners may come with hidden health risks. 'Not only that, it demonstrates how erythritol in particular may raise stroke risk.' The erythritol-treated cells also produced more free radicals—unstable molecules which are known to cause damage to the DNA inside cells if they build up. This in turn can cause oxidative stress which has been linked with heart disease, dementia and even cancer. While the researchers only tested brain cells in a lab and used a dose equivalent to a single serving of erythritol, Professor DeSouza warned that people who consume multiple servings a day—via diet drinks, protein bars or low-calorie desserts—could face a higher risk. He urged the public to be mindful of their intake, warning: 'These sweeteners come with a plethora of negative health consequences.' However, the team acknowledged this was a key limitation of the study, and further research is needed to confirm whether erythritol has similar effects in the human body. Erythritol was first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2001. It is typically made by fermenting corn and is found in hundreds of products as a low-calorie sugar substitute. It mimics the taste of sugar but isn't metabolised in the same way—meaning it contains virtually no calories. For that reason, it has become a popular choice among dieters and people with diabetes trying to control blood sugar levels. But erythritol is also naturally produced in small amounts by the body. Experts say that consuming it in high levels—through both processed products and natural sources like fruit and vegetables—could potentially push levels into the danger zone. Concerns about artificial sweeteners, widely added to everything from fizzy drinks to 'healthy' snacks, have been building for years amid mounting evidence they may not be as harmless as once believed. But critics highlight such studies are only observational, meaning they are unable to prove artificial sweeteners are the culprit and cannot rule out other external factors being to blame. Worries were heightened in 2023 after the World Health Organisation controversially classified the artificial sweetener aspartame, found in drinks like Diet Coke, as 'possibly carcinogenic to humans'. However, the UN agency ruled it only posed a risk to those who consumed massive amounts and that an 11 stone (70kg) adult could safely drink about 14 cans a day. But now, Taiwanese researchers have warned that children who consume a diet packed with sweeteners may be at higher risk of reaching puberty earlier. They found that high levels of the additives could trigger central precocious puberty—where the first signs of puberty typically emerge before the age of eight in girls and nine in boys. Higher consumption of 'added sugars', meaning those above the natural content of a food or drink item, was also linked with an earlier puberty—increasing the risk of depression, diabetes and even cancer. MailOnline has previously reported that the number of under-40s treated by the NHS for heart attacks is also climbing, with soaring obesity rates and related health issues believed to be key drivers. In the UK, around 420 people of working age die of as a result of heart disease each week, totalling an alarming 21,975 a year. Cardiovascular disease is America's number one killer and nearly 1million people die of it every year.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
PHOTO ESSAY: A Texas town's residents stay inside -- even when they need medical care
As President Donald Trump intensifies deportation activity around the country, some immigrants — including many who have lived in Texas's southern tip for decades — are unwilling to leave their homes, even for necessary medical care. 'He waited and waited because he felt the pain but was too scared to go to the hospital.' — 82-year-old Maria Isabel de Perez said of her son, whose appendix exploded earlier this year. It feels like we're living in a combat area. Even people like me who have status, I don't want to go out either, we're scared. They're looking for any excuse. If they see you have brown skin or you're Latino, they'll take you.' — Maria Gomez, a community health worker for Holy Family Services, Inc. said in Spanish, through an interpreter. People here are among the most medically needy in the country. Nearly half the population is obese. Women are more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer and elderly people are more likely to develop dementia. Bladder cancers can be more aggressive. One out of every four people live with diabetes. As much as a third of the population here doesn't have health insurance to cover those ailments. And a quarter of people live in poverty, more than double the national average. Now, many in this region are on a path to develop worse health outcomes as they skip doctors appointments out of fear, said Dr. Stanley Fisch, a pediatrician who helped open Driscoll Children's Hospital in the region last year. White House officials have directed federal agents to leave no location, including hospitals and churches, unchecked in their drive to remove 1 million immigrants by year's end. Those agents are even combing through one of the federal government's largest medical record databases to search for immigrants who may be in the United States illegally. Federal agents' raids began reaching deeper into everyday life across the Rio Grande Valley in June, just as the area's 1.4 million residents began their summer ritual of enduring the suffocating heat. This working-class stretch of Texas solidly backed Trump in the 2024 election, despite campaign promises to ruthlessly pursue mass deportations. People here, who once moved regularly from the U.S. to Mexico to visit relatives or get cheap dental care, say they didn't realize his deportation campaign would focus on their neighbors. It feels like we're living in a combat area. Even people like me who have status, I don't want to go out either, we're scared. They're looking for any excuse. If they see you have brown skin or you're Latino, they'll take you.' — Maria Gomez, a community health worker for Holy Family Services, Inc. said in Spanish, through an interpreter. 'Every day, I pray that the president will have a change of heart.' — Maria, a mother who is married to an American in south Texas. 'What did we do to them?' — Ofelia, a 73-year-old grandmother in Hidalgo County who is the sole caretaker of several grandchildren. This is a documentary photo story curated by AP photo editors. Text from the APNews story, As Trump's raids ramp up, a Texas region's residents stay inside — even when they need medical care, by Amanda Seitz and Jacquelyn Martin.
