High-intensity drinking is worse than binge drinking. But what exactly does it mean? High intensity is defined as consuming an excessive number of drinks in one session: eight or more for women and ten or more for men.

While binge drinking is characterized by having four or five drinks within two hours.

This distinction emerged as researchers noticed that many of the severe consequences associated with binge drinking—like blackouts and alcohol poisoning—were linked to much higher levels of alcohol intake.

Who are the most at risk?

Heavy drinking habits, formerly associated with youth, are changing. Recent studies show that, while high-intensity drinking has decreased among young adults, it is still common among those in their late twenties. Almost one out of every eight people aged 27 to 28 consume 10 or more drinks every session.

Middle-aged individuals are drinking more heavily. It is more prominent in males over 30 and women aged 18 to 64.

The trend can be seen where the middle-aged uses alcohol as a tool to cope with the day-to-day life, whereas for youth, it is to have fun and to explore the adult life.

Risks and Consequences

High-intensity drinking carries a greater risk than regular binge drinking. It is because when you consume such large volumes of alcohol in such a short period of time, it can boost blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to dangerous levels, usually exceeding 0.2%, as opposed to 0.08% for ordinary binge drinking.

This high BAC level increases the risk of disastrous effects, including:

• Injuries and Accidents
• Alcohol Poisoning
• Blackouts
• Hospitalizations

ALSO READ: Is Your Social Drinking Hurting Your Liver? A Scottish Woman Opens About Developing Chronic Liver Disease

Moreover, repeated high-intensity drinking significantly raises the risk of developing alcohol use disorder and contributes to broader societal harms such as relationship issues, property damage, and physical assaults.

Why is there a change in drinking patterns?

The reason why one opts for high-intensity drinking patterns varies by age. For youth, it is mostly peer pressure and seeking fun. However it does have its own downsides.

For middle-aged and older adults, stress, life pressures, and emotional coping mechanisms are more common drivers. However, studies have shown that alcohol does not help you cope with stress. These motivations highlight the evolving role of alcohol as a tool for both celebration and self-medication, depending on the stage of life.

The Need for Greater Awareness

The rise of high-intensity drinking underscores the importance of addressing its unique dangers. While binge drinking is risky, consuming eight or more drinks exponentially increases the likelihood of harm. Experts emphasize that the “dose makes the poison,” and this extreme form of alcohol use deserves heightened attention.

By understanding the motivations and risks associated with high-intensity drinking, individuals can make informed decisions and seek support if needed, particularly during festive seasons that often encourage overindulgence.

Obesity drugs such as semaglutide and tirzepatide may offer benefits beyond weight loss and blood sugar control. Researchers say these medicines could also help protect brain function, including memory and other cognitive abilities.

Researchers from the University of Gothenburg and the University of Copenhagen examined evidence on how these drugs affect the brain and their potential to inform treatments aimed at preserving cognitive function. The review was published in the journal Science.

How Do Obesity Drugs Affect The Brain?

Semaglutide and tirzepatide belong to a class of medicines that act on metabolic pathways involved in appetite and blood sugar regulation. They may also influence biological processes important for brain function.

Animal studies suggest that GLP-1 drugs can affect learning and memory. However, findings from human studies have been mixed.

Studies analysing patient records have linked GLP-1 treatment to a lower risk of dementia among people with type 2 diabetes. However, these findings do not establish whether the medicines themselves are responsible for the reduced risk.

Semaglutide Failed To Slow Alzheimer's Progression

The potential benefits of these drugs have also been examined in people with Alzheimer's disease.

In Novo Nordisk's EVOKE and EVOKE+ clinical trials, semaglutide did not slow disease progression in patients with early Alzheimer's disease, despite producing changes in several biological markers associated with the condition.

However, researchers say these findings do not rule out potential benefits in other groups of patients.

People with obesity or type 2 diabetes may experience difficulties with attention, planning and processing speed. These cognitive problems are often associated with metabolic and vascular health, making them potential targets for treatment.

Stina Börchers, first author of the review and a researcher affiliated with the University of Gothenburg and the University of Copenhagen, said it is important to establish whether these treatments can help preserve cognitive abilities, particularly when started before problems become established.

“We need to find out whether these treatments can help people with obesity or diabetes preserve their cognitive abilities, particularly if treatment begins before cognitive problems become established,” Börchers said.

Could Obesity Drugs Lead To New Brain Treatments?

Researchers are trying to understand whether the potential effects of obesity medicines on the brain result from improved metabolism, direct action on the brain, or a combination of both.

Christoffer Clemmensen, senior author of the review and research group leader at the University of Copenhagen, said advances in obesity medicines offer new opportunities to understand how metabolic regulation influences brain function.

“By disentangling the direct and indirect effects of these drugs on the brain, we may ultimately be able to develop treatments specifically aimed at preserving cognitive function,” Clemmensen said.

Why More Clinical Trials Are Needed

The researchers are calling for clinical trials that assess memory and other cognitive abilities from the beginning of treatment.

They also stress the need to monitor older and frail patients. Rapid weight loss and loss of muscle mass could affect physical function and potentially reduce the benefits of treatment in these groups.

For now, whether obesity drugs can help preserve cognitive function remains an important research question. More clinical evidence is needed before they can be considered treatments for protecting brain health.

For 25-year-old Kaela Knight, a nail artist from Colorado, taking tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound, brought an unusual side effect: skin so sensitive that even a light touch hurt.

Knight started treatment in September 2024 at 210 pounds and eventually reached 125 pounds. But during her second month, as her dose increased from 2.5 mg to 5 mg, she began experiencing burning sensations.

"I always describe it as feeling like a sunburn without any visible redness or irritation," she told the Daily Mail.

The sensation affected her hips, forearms and neck. Episodes lasted 24–48 hours, although some persisted for about a week.

Other patients taking Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and also Mounjaro have reported similar experiences.

Known as allodynia, this nerve-pain condition makes normally harmless sensations, such as clothing brushing against the skin or a light touch, painful. Patients describe it as a sunburn without visible redness or irritation.

Although it is not an established side effect of Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro or Zepbound, medical reports have documented similar symptoms. A direct link remains unproven.

"I have [areas] all over that are burning. It's driving me nuts," one Reddit user wrote. Another said painkillers and lidocaine gels offered little relief.

Some patients report improvement after reducing their dose or stopping treatment.

Also read: Ozempic Hair: GLP-1 Drug Use Linked To 7% Higher Baldness Risk In Men

Why Could Weight-Loss Injections Cause Burning Skin?

Semaglutide, used in Ozempic and Wegovy, mimics the GLP-1 hormone. Tirzepatide, used in Mounjaro and Zepbound, targets GLP-1 and GIP receptors.

Dr Richard Siegel, an endocrinologist at Tufts Medicine, told the Daily Mail that these drugs could potentially affect nerve signalling through the brain and spinal cord.

Another theory involves changes in the fat layer beneath the skin during weight loss, which could affect nerve sensitivity. Neither explanation has been proven.

What Do Medical Reports Reveal?

An October 2025 report documented two cases:

• A 56-year-old woman developed painful skin sensations after switching to semaglutide 2.4 mg. Symptoms resolved without treatment after six weeks.
• A 75-year-old man with type 2 diabetes developed widespread burning after switching to tirzepatide. Symptoms resolved after he discontinued it and returned to oral semaglutide.

Some patients report improvement over time or after reducing their dose.

Dr Siegel said symptoms can last days to weeks, potentially becoming less noticeable as the body adjusts to treatment, much like nausea and constipation.

"It's possible something similar is happening here, where temporary changes in receptor activity alter nerve signaling at first, but become less noticeable as the body adjusts," he said.

Read More: Stopping Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro Linked To 22% Higher Heart Attack, Stroke Risk: Study

Newer Weight-Loss Drugs May Carry A Higher Risk

Clinical trials have also recorded dysesthesia, a broader category of abnormal sensations, including burning and tingling. It is not necessarily the same as allodynia.

In a high-dose oral semaglutide trial, dysesthesia occurred in fewer than 3% of 334 participants, compared with none receiving placebo.

Phase 3 trials of retatrutide, an experimental drug targeting GLP-1, GIP and glucagon receptors, reported:

• 9 mg dose: 8.8%
• 12 mg dose: 20.9%
• Placebo: 0.7%

Who Is More Vulnerable To Allodynia?

Risk factors remain unclear. Dr Siegel believes higher doses could play a role.

"As best as I can tell, it would mostly be people on higher doses of these medications," he said.

He also suggested that people with greater pain sensitivity, including those with fibromyalgia, might be more susceptible.

What Should Patients Do?

Patients experiencing unusual skin burning or sensitivity should consult their doctor. Dose adjustments or alternative treatments may be considered, but medication should not be changed or stopped without medical advice.

Allodynia can also occur with shingles, migraines and nerve damage, so symptoms should not automatically be attributed to weight-loss drugs.

Dr Siegel recommends recording when symptoms occur, where they appear and what makes them better or worse.

Persistent or worsening pain should be medically evaluated.

When was the last time you took the stairs without thinking twice, walked to the market without needing a break, or said yes to an outing without worrying about how tiring it might be?

Sometimes, the first sign that something has changed with your health is not a new symptom, but an activity you have quietly given up. A morning walk gets shorter, a flight of stairs calls for a pause, or a favourite weekend outing starts to feel like too much effort. It is easy to put these changes down to age, but they may be telling you something worth investigating.

A simple “activity audit” can help you connect the dots. Instead of asking only whether you feel unwell, compare what you could comfortably do a few years ago with what you can manage today.

Could you walk the same distance without stopping? Have stairs that once felt routine become difficult? Have you cut back on morning walks, stopped playing a favourite sport or become less inclined to leave the house? Do everyday activities such as grocery shopping, gardening or household chores require more effort than before?

These questions are particularly relevant after age 45, when declining stamina may be attributed entirely to ageing. However, a persistent change in exercise tolerance or everyday activity should not automatically be dismissed as a normal consequence of ageing.

Breathlessness during activity, unusual fatigue, dizziness or light-headedness, swelling in the feet or ankles, and palpitations can occur in people with heart valve disease. These symptoms can also have other causes, but if they are persistent, unexplained or worsening, they warrant discussion with a healthcare professional.

Heart valve disease can develop gradually, allowing people to adapt their routines without recognising the underlying problem. Someone who becomes breathless while walking may take shorter routes, while another person may avoid stairs or social activities that involve physical exertion. Eventually, these adjustments can become part of daily life, making it harder to recognise a change in health.

Looking back can help restore that perspective. A simple three-part comparison offers a useful starting point: What could I do before? What can I do now? What changed in between?

Family members can also help identify differences that an older relative may have overlooked. A parent who once travelled regularly may begin avoiding trips, while someone who enjoyed gardening, shopping or meeting friends may increasingly prefer to stay home. These observations cannot establish a diagnosis, but they can prompt a timely conversation about health.

If breathlessness, fatigue, dizziness, swelling, or palpitations are new, persistent, or interfering with everyday activities, consulting a doctor can help determine the cause. Depending on the symptoms and medical history, the evaluation may include a physical examination and an echocardiogram, commonly called a 2D echo. This ultrasound test helps assess the heart's structure and how its valves function.

An activity audit is not a diagnostic test. Its purpose is to help people recognise changes that might otherwise go unnoticed and decide when to seek medical advice.

Growing older does not necessarily mean giving up the activities that make everyday life enjoyable. Paying attention to changes in physical ability can help distinguish an expected adjustment from a potential health concern.

Start your activity audit today. Think about three activities you could comfortably do a few years ago but now find difficult, tiring or have stopped altogether. Note when these changes began and whether you have experienced symptoms such as breathlessness, unusual fatigue, dizziness or palpitations. If you notice a persistent or unexplained decline, schedule a consultation with your doctor and discuss whether further evaluation, including an echocardiogram, may be appropriate.

The question is simple: What have you stopped doing, and could your health be the reason? Taking that first step can help you understand the change and decide what to do next.

(By Dr. Sumanto Mukhopadhyay, a Senior Consultant Interventional and Structural Cardiologist, Apollo Hospital, Kolkata)