Sreemanta Madhab Baruah1
BACKGROUND
Alcohol, a product that has been linked with human evolution is affecting almost all systems and altering nearly every biochemical process in human body. This drug is likely to exacerbate most medical problems. This study was conducted with an aim to study the prevalence of different diseases in the population as a whole due to intake of alcohol.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This was a hospital-based, cross-sectional observational study from 1st January, 2016, to 31st December, 2016. Data regarding clinical, socioeconomic parameters, symptoms of the patients, 13 years or old, presented with alcohol-related problems were recorded and evaluated.
RESULTS
3,159 patients were assessed. Most of the patients were in the age group of 40-60 years. Males were 93.1%, 94.34% were married and 84.9% were from rural areas. They are mostly literate and 47.8% were from the lower middle socioeconomic class background. 35.6% patients were labour by occupation, 46.5% consumed country made liquors and 52.2% were in the group of 10-30g alcohol intake per day. All the systems were influenced by alcohol consumption out of which chronic liver disease, cerebrovascular accidents, acid peptic disorders and pancreatitis were found to be common.
CONCLUSION
Alcohol, affecting not only health, but also socioeconomic status is burden to society. So, its control of alcohol consumption should be regarded as an utmost need.
