Is there a beneficial dose of alcohol?

Czech version

Authors: Miroslav Souček
Authors‘ workplace: II. interní klinika LF MU a FN U sv. Anny v Brně
Published in: Čas. Lék. čes. 2025; 164: 291-293
Category: Review Article

Overview

Souček M. Is there a beneficial dose of alcohol?

Alcohol consumption has a significant impact on overall health burden and is one of the main causes of morbidity and premature mortality. On average, 10 liters of pure alcohol per capita are consumed annually in the Czech Republic. Based on recent studies, we are moving away from the concept of a beneficial dose of alcohol, and a minimal dose, ideally none, is recommended. This particularly applies to oncological diseases and liver diseases. From the perspective of cardiovascular diseases, the maximum tolerable dose is reported to be 20–30 g of alcohol for men and 10–15 g for women.

Keywords:

alcohol – abuse – recommendations – daily dose

Sources

Chomynová P, Dvořáková Z, Orlíková B et al. Zpráva o alkoholu v České republice 2024. Úřad vlády ČR, 2025. Dostupné na: www.alkohol-skodi.cz/article/blog/zprava-o-alkoholu-v-ceske-republice-2024
Šamánek M, Urbanová Z. Víno na zdraví. Agentura Lucie, Praha, 2010.
Šamánek M, Urbanová Z. Když víno léčí. Galén, Praha, 2013.
GBD 2016 Alcohol Collaborators. Alcohol use and burden for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. Lancet 2018; 392 : 1015–1035.
No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health. WHO, 2023. Dostupné na: www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health
Topiwala A, Wang C, Ebmeier KP et al. Associations between moderate alcohol consumption, brain iron, and cognition in UK Biobank participants: Observational and mendelian randomization analyses. PLoS Med 2022; 19: e1004039.
Jun S, Park H, Kim U-J et al. Cancer risk based on alcohol consumption levels: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis. Epidemiol Health 2023 : 45: e2023092.
Piano MR, Marcus GM, Aycock DM et al. Alcohol use and cardiovascular disease: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation 2025; 152: e7–e21.
Visseren FLJ, Mach F, Smulders YM et al. 2021 ESC Guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice. Eur Heart J 2021; 42 : 3227–3337.
Táborský M, Kautzner J, Linhart A a kol. Kardiologie. EEZY Publishing a Česká kardiologická společnost, Praha, 2024.
Mancia G, Kreutz R, Brunström et al. 2023 ESH Guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension. The Task Force for the management of arterial hypertension of the European Society of Hypertension; Endorsed by the International Society of Hypertension (ISH) and the European Renal Association (ERA). J Hypertens 2023; 41 : 1874–2071.
Widimský J, Filipovský J, Ceral J a kol. Diagnostické a léčebné postupy u arteriální hypertenze –⁠ verze 2022. Doporučení České společnosti pro hypertenzi. Hypertenze a kardiovaskulární prevence 2022; 2 (Suppl.): 1–25.
Biddinger KJ, Edin CA, Haas ME et al. Association of habitual alcohol intake with risk of cardiovascular disease. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5: e223849.
Zhao J, Stockwell T, Naimi T et al. Association between daily alcohol intake and risk of all-cause mortality: a systematic review and meta-analyses. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6: e236185.
Kang DO, Lee DI, Roh SY et al. Reduced alcohol consumption and major adverse cardiovascular events. JAMA Netw Open 2024; 7: e244013.

Labels

Addictology Allergology and clinical immunology Angiology Audiology Clinical biochemistry Dermatology & STDs Paediatric gastroenterology Paediatric surgery Paediatric cardiology Paediatric neurology Paediatric ENT Paediatric psychiatry Paediatric rheumatology Diabetology Pharmacy Vascular surgery Pain management Dental Hygienist

ÚVODEM

Alcohol and the cardiovascular system

Alcohol-related liver disease

Alcohol and drug interactions

Doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (Doxy-PEP) in Czech clinical practice: a review of efficacy, safety, and implications for antimicrobial resistance

The relationship of B vitamins to diabetes mellitus

The last ten years with inosine pranobex – from an "old" therapeutic agent to vaccine research, including anti-cancer vaccines

Artificial intelligence in healthcare: the duty to inform patients

Artificial intelligence in biobanking: current situation and future perspectives

Three pain points of medical schools – time for change

Zásady účelné hemoterapie

Interdisciplinary recommendations for thrombophilia testing