19 hours Ago By Fiona Callingham
A doctor has warned that a symptom that appears on the face when you drink alcohol could mean you are 80 times more likely to develop cancer. This “genetic software glitch” suggests you lack enough of an enzyme needed to break booze down safely. This can put you at a greater risk of oesophageal cancer, a disease that kills around 8,000 Brits every year, the expert said.
Speaking on social media platform, Doctor Karan Rajan , explained what to look for. Dr Rajan, who is better known as Dr Raj, revealed that people who go red in the face when drinking could be at risk. He said: “Do you ever get red in the face when drinking alcohol? “This is a genetic software glitch called the alcohol flush reaction, and it's a warning sign for your health.
"Around 8% of the world has this software glitch, with the vast majority being of east Asian descent. “It basically means your DNA starter pack forgot to include enough of the enzyme that helps the body break down alcohol, aldehyde dehydrogenase 2. When you drink alcohol ,the body converts it into acetaldehyde, which is actually more toxic than the alcohol itself.
“This toxic acetaldehyde is then converted to the safer acetate by the enzyme. If you have the mutation and you drink, you get a buildup of the toxic acetaldehyde in your blood.” Dr Raj then warned of the link between this and cancer.
“This is the substance that increases your risk of cancer as well as giving you facial flush and increased heart rate,” he said. “For example, someone with the mutation who drinks alcohol that's as little as four units a week, has a risk of oesophageal cancer 40 to 80 times higher than someone without the mutation.” His advice is supported by a study published in PLOS Medicine in 2009.
Study authors acknowledged that alcohol flushing is more common among east Asian people, and warned of its link with cancer. They wrote: “This so-called alcohol flushing response (also known as “Asian flush” or “Asian glow”) is predominantly due to an inherited deficiency in the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2). “Although clinicians and the east Asian public generally know about the alcohol flushing response, few are aware of the accumulating evidence that ALDH2-deficient individuals are at much higher risk of oesophagal cancer (specifically squamous cell carcinoma) from alcohol consumption than individuals with fully active ALDH2.
This is particularly unfortunate as esophageal cancer is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide, with five-year survival rates of 15.6% in the United States, 12.3% in Europe, and 31.
6% in Japan.” They added that reducing alcohol intake could therefore save lives. “Doctors should counsel their ALDH2-deficient patients to limit alcohol consumption and thereby reduce the risk of developing oesophagal cancer,” they said.
Find out about the symptoms you need to watch out for and get health advice with our free health newsletter from the Daily Express “In view of the approximately 540 million ALDH2-deficient individuals in the world, many of whom now live in Western societies, even a small percent reduction in oesophagal cancers due to a reduction in alcohol drinking would translate into a substantial number of lives saved.” People with an ALDH2 deficiency may also experience the following when drinking: Rapid heartbeat Headache Nausea Vomiting. While there is no completely safe level of drinking alcohol, the NHS recommends drinking a maximum of 14 units a week - this is equivalent to six pints of average-strength beer or 10 small glasses of lower-strength wine.
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