Alcohol is among the most widely used recreational drugs, so it's extremely important to examine its health impacts. Unfortunately, various studies have revealed that alcohol permanently damages DNA, directly causes cancer, contributes to cognitive decline and early-onset dementia, and can shrink the brain to the equivalent of 10 years of aging. And now a new study has found more evidence that alcohol consumption can accelerate biological aging.

Telomeres are repetitive sequences of DNA that form protective caps on the tips of chromosomes.