Next time you’re at an airport, you might want to think twice before enjoying a pre-flight pint.
Drinking alcohol during a flight can seriously affect heart health, warn German scientists.
The researchers found that the combination reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood of sleeping passengers (SpO2) and increases heart rate, even in young, healthy people.
But this isn’t the only health risk from drinking thousands of feet up.
Experts also believe that cabin pressure can make you feel drunker than normal and even accelerate intoxication.
The NHS recommends that people drink no more than 14 “units” of alcohol (around six glasses of wine or pints of beer) per week. This itself has been diluted in recent decades in light of studies illustrating the health dangers of alcohol.
The researchers found that the combination reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood of sleeping passengers (SpO2) and increases heart rate, even in young, healthy people. And they suggested it might even be time to consider restricting alcohol on long-haul flights.
Dr Clare Morrison, registered GP and MedExpress online doctor, said: “When you’re on a plane, the barometric pressure in the cabin is lower than normal.
‘This decrease in pressure means that it is more difficult for the body to absorb oxygen, which can cause dizziness or hypoxia.
“In other words, the lower level of oxygen in your blood means you can appear drunker in the air than on the ground after consuming the same amount of alcohol.”
Meanwhile, Dr Nick Knight said The Telegraph: ‘At cruising altitude, most cabins are pressurized to the equivalent of 6,000 to 8,000 feet above sea level.
«In such conditions, the bloodstream will absorb less oxygen than if it were at sea level.
“The side effect of this is that the brain may experience a very slight reduction in the amount of oxygen to which it is accustomed.
“This is called ‘hypoxia,’ and it’s what’s much more likely to give you that drunker feeling.”
He added: “There are several other factors that cause the perfect storm in terms of becoming more intoxicated and faster.”
‘Dehydration: people tend to drink much less water and the filtered air in the cabin is dry.
«On an empty stomach, no one likes airplane food. Limited movement, so you are metabolizing alcohol more slowly.
According to the UK’s flight regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the low air pressure associated with flights also thins the blood and, in theory, intensifies the effects of alcohol.
As for the type of alcohol, travelers may also want to stay away from carbonated drinks like champagne or even alcohol with fizzy drinks.
Limited research has long suggested that these may increase blood alcohol content (BAC) faster than beer or cider, making you feel drunk faster.
One Australian study published in the American Journal of Medicine Participants who drank a cocktail made from diet soda containing an artificial sweetener were also found to have a maximum blood alcohol level of 0.05 percent compared to 0.03 percent without the non-diet mixer.
Scientists have suggested that this is because the sugar in regular mixers slows the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream.
Highly concentrated drinks, such as vodka or gin, are also absorbed more quickly by the body.
Leading experts have argued about the harms of moderate alcohol consumption for decades.
It came under the spotlight last year when WHO officials warned that no amount of alcohol is safe.
The latest data, collected by the World Health Organization and compiled by the University of Oxford’s Our World in Data platform, shows that wine consumption in the UK has soared to 3.3 liters of pure alcohol a year (2019), compared to 0.3 liters recorded almost 60 years earlier, in 1961. It now represents more than a third (33.7 percent) of all alcohol consumed nationwide and is almost at the same level as the beer (36 percent), which has plummeted from the 5.8 liters recorded in 1961 to the current 3.5 liters.
However, scientists generally agree that excessive alcohol consumption can permanently damage the liver, cause a variety of cancers, and increase blood pressure.
The NHS recommends that people drink no more than 14 “units” of alcohol (around six glasses of wine or pints of beer) per week.
This same thing has been diluted in recent decades in light of studies that illustrate the dangers of alcohol for health.
Meanwhile, the United States says women should drink no more than seven standard drinks a week and men can have 14..
These measurements include a medium-sized wine glass and 340 ml of beer, close to the size of a normal bottle.
In the German study, researchers tracked the sleep cycle, heart rate, and blood oxygen levels of 48 participants aged 18 to 40.
The participants were divided into two groups: half slept in a laboratory under normal air pressure conditions, while the rest slept in an altitude chamber that mimicked cabin pressure during an airplane’s cruising altitude.
In each group, half of them (12) slept four hours without having drunk alcohol, while another 12 slept four hours having drunk the equivalent of two cans of beer or two glasses of wine.
People in the sleep lab who had not drank alcohol had oxygen saturation levels of about 96 percent and a heart rate of 64 beats per minute.
For drinkers in the simulated cabin pressure chamber, this pressure dropped to around 85 percent and 88 beats per minute.
Those who slept in the chamber but did not drink had oxygen levels of 88 percent and a heart rate of 73 beats per minute, showing that alcohol had a significant impact over and above the effects of altitude.
writing in the diary ChestThe researchers said: “Higher doses of alcohol could amplify the observed effects, potentially increasing the risk of health complications and medical emergencies during flight, especially among older people and those with pre-existing medical conditions.”
“Our results clearly suggest that the consumption of alcoholic beverages on board should be restricted.”
DO YOU DRINK TOO MUCH ALCOHOL? THE 10 QUESTIONS THAT REVEAL YOUR RISK
A screening tool widely used by medical professionals is the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Testing). Developed in collaboration with the World Health Organization, the 10-question test is considered the gold standard to help determine if someone has alcohol abuse problems.
The test has been reproduced here with permission from the WHO.
To complete it, answer each question and write down the corresponding score.
YOUR SCORE:
0-7: You are within the range of reasonable alcohol consumption and are at low risk for alcohol-related problems.
Over 8: Indicates harmful or dangerous consumption.
8-15: Medium risk level. Drinking at your current level puts you at risk of developing problems with your health and your life in general, such as work and relationships. Consider cutting back (see tips below).
16-19: Increased risk of complications from alcohol. Cutting back on your own may be difficult at this level as you may be dependent, so you may need professional help from your GP and/or a counsellor.
20 and over: Possible dependency. Your alcohol consumption is already causing you problems and it is very possible that you are dependent. You should definitely consider stopping drinking gradually or at least reducing your alcohol consumption. You should seek professional help to determine the level of your dependence and the safest way to quit alcohol.
Severe dependence may require medically assisted withdrawal or detoxification in a hospital or specialized clinic. This is due to the likelihood of severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms occurring in the first 48 hours requiring specialized treatment.