When was the term alcoholism first coined by a physician?
Swedish physician Magnus Huss published a groundbreaking work in 1852 that coined the term alcoholism to describe the systemic adverse effects of chronic drinking.
Common questions about Alcoholism
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What percentage of the global population over 15 years of age suffers from alcohol use disorders?
The World Health Organization estimates that 380 million people worldwide suffer from alcohol use disorders, representing 5.1% of the population over 15 years of age.
How does genetics influence the risk of developing alcoholism?
Someone with a parent or sibling with an alcohol use disorder is 3-4 times more likely to develop the condition, yet only a minority of those with a family history actually become dependent.
What are the leading causes of early death associated with heavy long-term alcohol use?
Heavy long-term use of alcohol results in many negative health and social consequences that can reduce life expectancy by 10 years, making it the third leading cause of early death in the United States.
How does alcohol misuse affect mental health and dementia rates?
Long-term misuse of alcohol can cause a wide range of mental health problems, with severe cognitive problems being common and approximately 10% of all dementia cases related to alcohol consumption.
What is the most stable form of remission for recovering alcoholics?
The most stable form of remission for recovering alcoholics is abstinence from alcohol, with a long-term 60-year follow-up of two groups of alcoholic men indicating that return to controlled drinking rarely persisted for much more than a decade without relapse or evolution into abstinence.