A team of researchers from Oxford University have now linked alcohol consumption with the likes of gout and cataracts.
Other disorders newly linked to drinking alcohol include fractures and circulatory diseases.
Experts noted the study demonstrates that a tipple is linked to a “much wider range of diseases” than previously thought.
The research team teamed up with academics at both Peking University and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences for the study.
They analysed a Chinese database containing health information on more than 512,000 adults, which included their drinking habits.
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Among men, alcohol consumption was significantly associated with a higher risk of 60 diseases.
This included 33 not previously reported as alcohol-related diseases by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
While a third of men in the research project drank alcohol regularly (at least once a week), the rate for women was just two percent.
As a result, women were used as a control group to confirm that excess disease risk in men was caused by alcohol drinking.
The team established dose-dependent risks, highlighting that every four drinks daily is associated with a 14 percent higher risk of having an alcohol-related disease.
Study author, Pek Kei Im said: “Alcohol consumption is adversely related to a much wider range of diseases than has previously been established.
“And our findings show these associations are likely to be causal.”
Senior author, Professor Liming Li added: “This large collaborative study demonstrates a need to strengthen alcohol control policies in China.”
60 diseases associated with alcohol consumption:
- Tuberculosis
- Laryngeal cancer
- Oesophageal cancer
- Liver cancer
- Uncertain neoplasm
- Colon cancer
- Lung cancer
- Rectal cancer
- Other cancer
- Lip, oral cavity and pharynx cancer
- Stomach cancer
- Other anaemias
- Purpura and other haemorrhagic conditions
- Other metabolic disorders
- Diabetes melitus
- Less common psychiatric and behavioural conditions combined
- Epilepsy
- Transient cerebral ischaemic attacks
- Cataract
- Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis
- Cardiomyopathy
- Intracerebral haemorrhage
- Sequelae of cerebrovascular disease
- Hypertensive heart disease
- Essential (primary) hypertension
- Cerebral infarction
- Complications of heart disease
- Stroke, not specified
- Occlusion and stenosis of cerebral arteries
- Occlusion and stenosis of precerebral arteries
- Other cerebrovascular diseases
- Chronic ischaemic heart disease
- Less common circulatory diseases combined
- Unspecified chronic bronchitis
- Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Pneumonia
- Alcoholic liver disease
- Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver
- Other inflammatory liver diseases
- Abscess of anal and rectal regions
- Gastro−oesophageal reflux disease
- Gastric ulcer
- Other diseases of digestive system
- Other diseases of liver
- Pancreatitis
- Other local infections (skin/subcutaneous tissue)
- Osteonecrosis
- Gout
- Other arthrosis
- Abnormal results of function studies
- Malaise and fatigue
- Other ill−defined/unspecified mortality causes
- Unknown/unspecified morbidity causes
- Fracture of shoulder and upper arm
- Fracture of femur
- Fracture of rib(s)/sternum/thoracic spine
- Less common injury, poisoning and other external causes combined
- Intentional self−harm
- Falls
- Transport accidents
The NHS says: “There’s no completely safe level of drinking.” Yet, there are recommended guidelines.
Everybody should drink no more than 14 units of alcohol per week, which is the equivalent of six medium (175ml) glasses of wine or six points of four percent beer.
The research findings have been published in the journal Nature Medicine.
