I saw a new study today that says people tend to consume more alcohol when the cold weather hits.  One of the reasons they sited was that when you become drunk, you increase blood flow to your skin and get warmer.  I always assumed that you're just as cold, you just don't care as much when you've got a good buzz going.

So, if cold weather makes people drink, then places with cold winters should have more drinkers, right?  I decided to check the CDC's site and Montana is in the top percentile for liver disease mortality.  Think drinking has nothing to do with that?  Well, the state with the lowest is Utah, so it actually makes a lot of sense.

From CDC.gov

MT Leading Causes of Death, 2016DeathsRate***State Rank*U.S. Rate**
1.  Heart Disease2,138154.430th165.5
2. Cancer2,031145.941st155.8
3. Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease72251.911th40.6
4. Accidents62654.122nd47.4
5. Stroke44032.539th (tie)37.3
6. Alzheimer’s Disease31422.641st30.3
7. Diabetes31123.616th21.0
8. Suicide26725.91st13.5
9. Chronic Liver Disease/Cirrhosis16013.66th10.7
10. Kidney Disease15511.330th (tie)13.1

 

As you can see, there are 8 other things more likely to kill you, but we're still 6th in the nation for liver disease.  Go easy on the booze this winter.  You can't live without your liver (hence the name).

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