BLOG

 

Research from the University of Bonn which was recently published shows that individuals with alcohol dependence have a much higher risk of death from hospitalization than patients who are not dependent on this substance. In addition the study shows that patients who are dependent on alcohol generally expire almost 8 years sooner than hospitalized patients who do not have this issue. The research results have been published in European Psychiatry. University of Bonn Hospital Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy researcher Dr. Dieter Schoepf stated “Mental problems as well as significant physical health impairments are associated with alcohol addiction. Alcoholics who were treated in British general hospitals for health problems die an average of 7.6 years earlier than non-alcohol dependent patients; this is due to the interaction of several concomitant physical illnesses.”

The study on hospitalization and alcohol dependence involved the data for more than 23,000 patients. Royal Derby Hospital in England professor Dr. Reinhard Heun said “During the observation period, approximately one out of five hospital patients with alcoholism died in one of the hospitals, while only one out of twelve patients in the control group died. Through diligent screening and early treatment of concomitant mental and physical illnesses, it should be possible to significantly increase the life expectancy of alcoholic patients,” Dr. Schoepf also stated “Patients with addiction problems are often admitted to hospitals as emergency cases. At the time of diagnosis, priority is then given to the acute symptoms — this may contribute to the fact that not all physical illnesses are recorded.”