A study published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research titled “Late-Life Alcohol Consumption and 20-Year Mortality” purports that abstaining from alcohol does actually tend to increase one’s risk of dying even when former drinkers are excluded from the studies. Prior epidemiological evidence supported the notion that moderate alcohol consumption is significantly correlated with reduced total mortality among middle-aged and older adults.
The purpose of this study, which was conducted by Charles J. Holahan, Kathleen K. Schutte and several other researchers, was to examine the association between alcohol consumption and all-cause mortality over a 20-year period. The study sample was comprised of 1,824 adults between the ages of 55 and 65.
Controlling for several major and potential confounding variables associated with abstention from alcohol, inclusive of age and gender, findings showed that abstainers, when compared with moderate drinkers, had a mortality risk two times greater. In addition, heavy drinkers and light drinkers had 70 percent and 23 percent increased risk respectively, when compared to abstainers. Additional analysis based on adjustments of covariates estimates revealed that abstainers and heavy drinkers still displayed increased mortality risks of 51 and 45 percent, accordingly, when compared to moderate drinkers.
Although unique, the authors of the paper acknowledge that although the findings suggested that drinking may be associated with longer life, excessive alcohol consumption still is hazardous and leads to an increased risk of accidents and mental impairment. Nonetheless, the data supports that alcohol consumption, in moderation, may have positive health benefits.
–torrance stephens, ph.d.
