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Believe it or not: drinkers outlive abstainers
by Jamie Anderson - August 31, 2010 - comments
People who tend to drink moderately are more likely to live longer than their counterparts who drink heavily or abstain from alcohol altogether, researchers from the University of Texas, Austin have found.
The debate over alcohol consumption may seem to be getting graver. If the findings of a new study are to be believed, people who actually abstain from alcohol run a higher risk of early death.
Moderate drinking is already known to improve circulation and heart health. But besides the medical benefits, it enhances social interactions, vital for maintaining mental and physical health, researchers say.
Details of the study
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, and team at The University of Texas and Stanford University's Center for Health Care Evaluation studied 1,824 (1,142 males and 682 females) individuals between ages 55 and 65.
All participants had received some kind of outpatient care in the previous three years.
Participants were required to fill out questionnaires detailing their drinking habits, daily alcohol consumption and whether they encountered any problem due to their drinking habit.
Although the findings of the study suggest that drinkers outlive abstainers, it’s not best and the only way to go. Researchers are still contemplating the reasons behind the findings.
The participants’ sociodemopgrpahic factors and social behavioral factors were also assessed.
During the 20-year study span, 69 percent of abstainers died. The mortality rate was 60 percent and 41 percent for heavy drinkers and moderate drinkers respectively.
Also, non-drinkers showed higher signs of depression, researchers reveal.
Interpretations of the findings
Although the findings of the study suggest that drinkers outlive abstainers, it’s not best and the only way to go. Researchers are still contemplating the reasons behind the findings.
As alcohol lubricates so many social interactions, which is important for mental and physical health, it is adding a few years to drinkers’ lifespan, researchers believe.
Secondly, moderate alcohol intake, described as one to three beverages a day, has well defined heart benefits.
Moderate alcohol consumption, researchers say, is the best way to go.
“Even after taking account of traditional and nontraditional covariates, moderate alcohol consumption continued to show a beneficial effect in predicting mortality risk,” study's lead author, Charles Holahan, professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, said.
But authors caution that even if drinking is associated with longer life, it can be dangerous. It impairs memory severely and can lead to fatal falls.
“Older persons drinking alcohol should remember that consuming more than two drinks a day exceeds recommended alcohol consumption guidelines in the United States and is associated with increased falls, a higher risk of alcohol use problems and potential adverse interactions with medications,” Holahan warned.
The findings of the study feature in the journal 'Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.'