People who engage in light or moderate drinking every day are at an increased risk of cancer, a study has found.
Research carried out in the United States and published by the BMJ found the link only in men who had smoked at some point in their lives, and not in those who had never been a smoker.
But even in women who had never smoked, the risk of alcohol-related cancers - mainly breast cancer - increased even after one alcoholic drink a day.
An accompanying editorial in the BMJ said people with a family history of cancer, particularly women with a family history of breast cancer, should consider reducing their alcohol intake to below the recommended limits.
Researchers said that because smoking is a major risk factor for most alcohol-related cancers - apart from female breast cancer - the apparent influence of alcohol on cancer could be partly driven by its effect among smokers.
Light or moderate drinking was classed as less than 15g (around one-and-a-half units or just under two drinks) a day in women and 30g (three units or three or four drinks) and below in men.
Screened The study of more than 88,000 women and 47,000 men aged over 30 found the median consumption of alcohol was 1.8g a day in women and 5.6g in men.
Source: Jennifer Cockerell, Irish Independent, 19/08/15
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