Alcohol Use and the Risk of Communicable Diseases
The body of knowledge on alcohol use and communicable diseases has been growing in recent years. Using a narrative review approach, this paper discusses alcohol’s role in the acquisition of and treatment outcomes from four different communicable diseases: these include three conditions included in c...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/10/3317 |
| _version_ | 1797513631424839680 |
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| author | Neo K. Morojele Sheela V. Shenoi Paul A. Shuper Ronald Scott Braithwaite Jürgen Rehm |
| author_facet | Neo K. Morojele Sheela V. Shenoi Paul A. Shuper Ronald Scott Braithwaite Jürgen Rehm |
| author_sort | Neo K. Morojele |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The body of knowledge on alcohol use and communicable diseases has been growing in recent years. Using a narrative review approach, this paper discusses alcohol’s role in the acquisition of and treatment outcomes from four different communicable diseases: these include three conditions included in comparative risk assessments to date—Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), and lower respiratory infections/pneumonia—as well as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) because of its recent and rapid ascension as a global health concern. Alcohol-attributable TB, HIV, and pneumonia combined were responsible for approximately 360,000 deaths and 13 million disability-adjusted life years lost (DALYs) in 2016, with alcohol-attributable TB deaths and DALYs predominating. There is strong evidence that alcohol is associated with increased incidence of and poorer treatment outcomes from HIV, TB, and pneumonia, via both behavioral and biological mechanisms. Preliminary studies suggest that heavy drinkers and those with alcohol use disorders are at increased risk of COVID-19 infection and severe illness. Aside from HIV research, limited research exists that can guide interventions for addressing alcohol-attributable TB and pneumonia or COVID-19. Implementation of effective individual-level interventions and alcohol control policies as a means of reducing the burden of communicable diseases is recommended. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:19:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8a468512affb46058fb3de49f385a53e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:19:18Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-8a468512affb46058fb3de49f385a53e2023-11-22T19:26:42ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432021-09-011310331710.3390/nu13103317Alcohol Use and the Risk of Communicable DiseasesNeo K. Morojele0Sheela V. Shenoi1Paul A. Shuper2Ronald Scott Braithwaite3Jürgen Rehm4Department of Psychology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2006, South AfricaSection of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USACentre for Addiction and Mental Health, Institute for Mental Health Policy Research and Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5S 2S1, CanadaDivision of Comparative Effectiveness and Decision Science, Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY 10013, USACentre for Addiction and Mental Health, Institute for Mental Health Policy Research and Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5S 2S1, CanadaThe body of knowledge on alcohol use and communicable diseases has been growing in recent years. Using a narrative review approach, this paper discusses alcohol’s role in the acquisition of and treatment outcomes from four different communicable diseases: these include three conditions included in comparative risk assessments to date—Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), and lower respiratory infections/pneumonia—as well as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) because of its recent and rapid ascension as a global health concern. Alcohol-attributable TB, HIV, and pneumonia combined were responsible for approximately 360,000 deaths and 13 million disability-adjusted life years lost (DALYs) in 2016, with alcohol-attributable TB deaths and DALYs predominating. There is strong evidence that alcohol is associated with increased incidence of and poorer treatment outcomes from HIV, TB, and pneumonia, via both behavioral and biological mechanisms. Preliminary studies suggest that heavy drinkers and those with alcohol use disorders are at increased risk of COVID-19 infection and severe illness. Aside from HIV research, limited research exists that can guide interventions for addressing alcohol-attributable TB and pneumonia or COVID-19. Implementation of effective individual-level interventions and alcohol control policies as a means of reducing the burden of communicable diseases is recommended.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/10/3317alcoholcommunicable diseasesinfectious diseasesHIVtuberculosispneumonia |
| spellingShingle | Neo K. Morojele Sheela V. Shenoi Paul A. Shuper Ronald Scott Braithwaite Jürgen Rehm Alcohol Use and the Risk of Communicable Diseases Nutrients alcohol communicable diseases infectious diseases HIV tuberculosis pneumonia |
| title | Alcohol Use and the Risk of Communicable Diseases |
| title_full | Alcohol Use and the Risk of Communicable Diseases |
| title_fullStr | Alcohol Use and the Risk of Communicable Diseases |
| title_full_unstemmed | Alcohol Use and the Risk of Communicable Diseases |
| title_short | Alcohol Use and the Risk of Communicable Diseases |
| title_sort | alcohol use and the risk of communicable diseases |
| topic | alcohol communicable diseases infectious diseases HIV tuberculosis pneumonia |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/10/3317 |
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