Even Low-Risk Alcohol Consumption Ups Mortality Risk in Older Adults
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 21, 2024 -- Even low-risk drinking is associated with higher mortality among older adults, according to a study published online Aug. 12 in JAMA Network Open.
Rosario Ortolá, M.D., Ph.D., from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, and colleagues examined the association between alcohol consumption patterns with 12-year mortality. Analysis included data from 135,103 participants (≥60 years) in the U.K. Biobank.
The researchers found that high-risk drinking was associated with higher all-cause (hazard ratio [HR], 1.33), cancer (HR, 1.39), and cardiovascular (HR, 1.21) mortality, compared with occasional drinking, while moderate-risk drinking was associated with higher all-cause (HR, 1.10) and cancer (HR, 1.15) mortality. Low-risk drinking was associated with higher cancer mortality (HR, 1.11). Among those with socioeconomic risk factors, low-risk and moderate-risk drinking patterns were associated with higher mortality from all causes (low risk: HR, 1.14; moderate risk: HR, 1.17) and cancer (low risk: HR, 1.25; moderate risk: HR, 1.36). There were small protective associations for a wine preference (>80 percent of alcohol from wine) and drinking with meals, especially from cancer, but only in drinkers with socioeconomic or health-related risk factors and was associated with attenuating the excess mortality associated with high-, moderate- and even low-risk drinking.
"This cohort study identified inequalities in the detrimental health outcomes associated with alcohol that should be addressed to reduce the high disease burden of alcohol use," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted August 2024
Read this next
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Affordability Tied to Widening Survival Disparity
FRIDAY, July 11, 2025 -- The introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) was associated with a widening survival disparity between those with private insurance and those...
Risk for Severe COVID-19 Elevated for Childhood Cancer Survivors
FRIDAY, July 11, 2025 -- Childhood cancer survivors have a lower risk for registered COVID-19 infection but a higher risk for severe COVID-19, according to a study published...
Consistent Physical Activity Linked to Reduced All-Cause, CVD Mortality
FRIDAY, July 11, 2025 -- Consistently and increasingly accumulated physical activity (PA) is associated with a reduced risk for all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD)...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.