TY - JOUR
T1 - Moderate alcohol intake is associated with survival in the elderly
T2 - The Dubbo study
AU - Simons, L. A.
AU - McCallum, J.
AU - Friedlander, Y.
AU - Ortiz, M.
AU - Simons, J.
PY - 2000/8/7
Y1 - 2000/8/7
N2 - Objective: To examine the relationship between alcohol intake and survival in elderly people. Design and setting: A prospective study over 116 months of non-institutionalised subjects living in Dubbo, a rural town (population, 34000) in New South Wales. Participants: 1235 men and 1570 women aged 60 years and over who were first examined in 1988-89. Main outcome measures: All-causes mortality; gross cost of alcohol per life-year gained. Results: Death occurred in 450 men and 392 women. Intake of alcohol was generally moderate (ie, less than 14 drinks/week). Any intake of alcohol was associated with reduced mortality in men up to 75 years and in women over 64 years. In a proportional hazards model, the hazard ratio for mortality in men taking any alcohol was 0.63 (95% Cl, 0.47-0.84) and in women was 0.75 (95% Cl, 0.60-0.94). Cardiovascular deaths in men were reduced from 20/100 (95% Cl, 14-26) to 11/100 (95% Cl, 9-13) and in women from 16/100 (95% Cl, 13-19) to 8/100 (95% Cl, 6-10). The reduction in mortality occurred in men and women taking only 1-7 drinks/week - hazard ratios, 0.68 (95% Cl, 0.49-0.94) and 0.78 (95% Cl, 0.61-0.99), respectively, with a similar protective effect from intake of beer or other forms of alcohol. After almost 10 years' follow-up, men taking any alcohol lived on average 7.6 months longer, and women on average 2.7 months longer, compared with non-drinkers. The gross cost for alcohol per life-year gained if consuming 1-7 drinks/week was $5700 in men, and $19000 in women. Conclusions: Moderate alcohol intake in the elderly appears to be associated with significantly longer survival in men 60-74 years and in all elderly women.
AB - Objective: To examine the relationship between alcohol intake and survival in elderly people. Design and setting: A prospective study over 116 months of non-institutionalised subjects living in Dubbo, a rural town (population, 34000) in New South Wales. Participants: 1235 men and 1570 women aged 60 years and over who were first examined in 1988-89. Main outcome measures: All-causes mortality; gross cost of alcohol per life-year gained. Results: Death occurred in 450 men and 392 women. Intake of alcohol was generally moderate (ie, less than 14 drinks/week). Any intake of alcohol was associated with reduced mortality in men up to 75 years and in women over 64 years. In a proportional hazards model, the hazard ratio for mortality in men taking any alcohol was 0.63 (95% Cl, 0.47-0.84) and in women was 0.75 (95% Cl, 0.60-0.94). Cardiovascular deaths in men were reduced from 20/100 (95% Cl, 14-26) to 11/100 (95% Cl, 9-13) and in women from 16/100 (95% Cl, 13-19) to 8/100 (95% Cl, 6-10). The reduction in mortality occurred in men and women taking only 1-7 drinks/week - hazard ratios, 0.68 (95% Cl, 0.49-0.94) and 0.78 (95% Cl, 0.61-0.99), respectively, with a similar protective effect from intake of beer or other forms of alcohol. After almost 10 years' follow-up, men taking any alcohol lived on average 7.6 months longer, and women on average 2.7 months longer, compared with non-drinkers. The gross cost for alcohol per life-year gained if consuming 1-7 drinks/week was $5700 in men, and $19000 in women. Conclusions: Moderate alcohol intake in the elderly appears to be associated with significantly longer survival in men 60-74 years and in all elderly women.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0034617676&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2000.tb125562.x
DO - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2000.tb125562.x
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C2 - 10979375
AN - SCOPUS:0034617676
SN - 0025-729X
VL - 173
SP - 121
EP - 124
JO - Medical Journal of Australia
JF - Medical Journal of Australia
IS - 3
ER -