02/02/2026

MONDAY | FEB 2, 2026

26

HEALTH

N EW US nutrition guidelines issued in January by the Trump administration have abandoned the government’s long-standing practice of recommending specific limits on alcohol use in favour of simply advising people to drink less. The International Agency for Research on Cancer first classified alcohol as a carcinogen to humans in 1987. Evidence for this link from studies in humans and animals has strengthened since then, according to a January 2025 report from then-US surgeon general Dr Vivek Murthy showing cancer risks rise modestly with consumption. Here is what research has shown about alcohol intake and cancer: Which cancers have been linked with alcohol consumption? The evidence that alcohol consumption increases the risk of malignancy is strongest for cancers of the breast, colon and rectum, esophagus, liver, mouth, throat and larynx. For certain cancers, such as breast, mouth and throat cancers, risks may start to increase with around one or fewer drinks per day, according to the 2025 surgeon general’s report. It advised that all alcoholic drinks, whether beer, wine or spirits, should carry a label warning consumption increases the risk of cancer. What do dietary guidelines say about alcohol consumption? The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention defines one alcoholic beverage as 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor, 5 ounces of wine with 12% alcohol or 12 ounces of beer with 5% alcohol. The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans – the Trump administration’s roadmap to healthy drinking and eating practices – replaces decades-old recommendations with advice simply to “consume less alcohol for better overall health”. Previous US guidelines had recommended two or fewer drinks per day for men and one drink or less per day for women. How does alcohol cause cancer? The surgeon general’s report highlighted four ways in which alcohol consumption raises cancer risks. 0 DNA damage: The body processes alcohol into acetaldehyde, a chemical compound that can damage DNA and prevent cells from repairing the damage, increasing the likelihood of mutations and uncontrolled cell growth that contributes to tumour formation. 0 Oxidation and inflammation: HAVING a heart attack at age 30 is something most people would never imagine. Yet heart disease remains one of Malaysia’s biggest health concerns. Data from the Statistics Department released on Dec 18 last year showed that ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause of death in 2024, accounting for 17,421 deaths, or 13% of all recorded deaths. Beyond the emotional toll, the long-term impact can also be costly. Bukit Tinggi Medical Centre (BTMC) consultant cardiologist Dr Shathiskumar Govindaraju noted that projections suggest the cost of managing heart failure in Malaysia could rise to as much as RM199,000 per patient each year. Most dangerous kind of heart attack One of the most severe types of heart attack involves the left anterior descending (LAD) artery. This artery supplies blood to a large portion of the heart. When it becomes blocked, the result is often referred to as a “widowmaker” heart attack due to its high risk of death or lasting heart damage if treatment is delayed. Time matters. When the heart muscle is deprived of oxygen for too long, permanent damage can occur. Beyond opening blocked artery While angioplasty and stenting remain the

Risks of alcohol intake o How consumption can affect chances of getting cancer Attracting controversy, the US government has abandoned its long-standing practice of recommending specific limits on alcohol use in favour of simply advising people to drink less. – 123RFPIC

Higher alcohol consumption increases breast cancer risk in women from roughly 11 cases in every 100 of those who consume less than one drink per week, to 13 cases in every 100 who consume one drink per day and 15 in every 100 who consume two drinks per day, according to the report. Are there any health benefits of alcohol? A January 2025 report from the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine concluded that moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a lower rate of deaths from any cause compared with no consumption. While it did find links between alcohol and cancer, it also found evidence to suggest that consuming moderate amounts of alcohol is associated with lower risks for nonfatal heart attacks, nonfatal strokes and deaths from heart disease. – Reuters Approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, SSO ĸ therapy is used only after the main artery has been opened. It does not replace angioplasty or stenting. Instead, it is used as an added measure to support recovery. The therapy delivers very high levels of dissolved oxygen directly to the heart muscle using the patient’s own blood. Highly oxygenated saline is mixed with the blood to create supersaturated blood that carries seven to 10 times more oxygen than normal arterial blood. This oxygen-rich blood is then delivered to the heart through a small catheter over a 60-minute period. “Because the oxygen is dissolved rather than carried by red blood cells alone, it can reach areas where blood flow remains limited, particularly in the smaller vessels of the heart muscle,” explained Dr Sivah Sandrasakre, clinical evidence manager of ZOLL Medical Corporation. The therapy is administered in the cardiac catheterisation laboratory immediately after angioplasty and does not delay emergency treatment. “In emergency cases, our priority is to save the patient’s heart. We do not wait for insurance approval. We proceed with SSO ĸ therapy once the patient is stabilised,” added Shathiskumar. BTMC is currently the first private hospital in the Asia Pacific region to offer SuperSaturated Oxygen therapy, marking a step forward in how severe heart attacks are managed beyond the initial life saving procedures.

gastrointestinal tract, alcohol irritates and damages the protective mucosal lining that normally protects cells from carcinogens, including tobacco. The liver processes alcohol, leading to high acetaldehyde concentrations. Chronic alcohol-induced inflammation can also lead to cirrhosis, a major risk factor for liver cancer. Alcohol-induced inflammation can also increase the risk of pancreas cancer. Does quantity of alcohol consumption affect cancer risk? The risk of cancer increases with the level of alcohol consumption. The surgeon general’s report estimated that an alcohol-related cancer will develop in about 10 of every 100 men who consume less than one drink per week, 11 of every 100 who average one drink daily, and in 13 of every 100 who consume two drinks daily.

Acetaldehyde is in turn converted into acetate in a process that involves oxidation, producing dangerous unstable oxygen-containing molecules that damage cells and contribute to cancer-causing inflammation. 0 Raising risk from tobacco: Carcinogens from other sources, especially particles of tobacco smoke, can dissolve in alcohol, making it easier for them to be absorbed into the body. 0 Hormone production: Alcohol consumption increases levels of hormones, including estrogen, which can increase risks for breast and ovarian cancers. Why are some organs at higher risk of alcohol-related cancers? The hormone-related risk for breast cancer is highlighted in the report. In addition, in the mouth and esophagus, and throughout the

(From left) Shathiskumar and Sivah talk about reducing heart damage after a ‘widowmaker’ heart attack. Delivering oxygen, helping heart to recover after severe attack Ű BY SHIVANI SUPRAMANI

This ongoing injury can lead to scarring of the heart muscle, reduced heart function and a higher risk of heart failure later on. For selected patients, especially those who suffer a severe LAD or “widowmaker” heart attack, an additional treatment may be considered after angioplasty and stenting. This is known as TherOx SuperSaturated Oxygen (SSO ĸ ) therapy.

standard and essential first steps in treating a heart attack – restoring blood flow in the main blocked artery – reopening the main artery does not always mean the heart muscle fully recovers. “Up to 90% of blood flow to heart tissue occurs in the microvasculature. Damage at this level can persist even after a technically successful procedure,” Shathiskumar explained.