Excessive alcohol consumption remains a leading cause of premature death in the United States, responsible for 1 in 10 deaths among working-age adults, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Researchers used the CDC's Alcohol-Related Disease Impact (ARDI) online application to estimate total number of deaths that were attributable to alcohol among U.S. adults ages 20 to 64, from 2006 through 2010. They also examined years of potential life lost across the U.S. by gender and age, FoxNews reports.

Excessive alcohol use led to nearly 88,000 deaths per year over the study period, and shortened the lives of those who died by about 30 years on average, said study researcher Dafna Kanny of the CDC. "In total, there were 2.5 million years of potential life lost each year due to excessive alcohol use," she said.

Causes of death

Alcohol is linked with deaths both from acute causes, such as car accidents and falls, and deaths from chronic diseases.

Among the chronic diseases that alcohol can cause, the most common cause of death was alcoholic liver disease (14,000 deaths yearly), followed by liver cirrhosis (7,800 deaths yearly) and alcohol dependence syndrome (3,700 deaths yearly), according to the study.

Men are more likely than women to drink excessively, especially binge drinking, having five or more alcoholic drinks in one occasion. Among drivers in fatal motor vehicle crashes, men are almost twice as likely as women to have been intoxicated.

What can be done

The results of this study are consistent with similar studies conducted on a global level, and reflect the substantial effect that excessive drinking has on life span and loss of productivity.

Strategies offered include increasing taxes on alcoholic beverages, reducing the number of retails outlets that sell alcoholic drinks, and holding alcohol retailers liable for injuries and damage following illegal service to intoxicated or underage consumers.