A Canadian study showed that binge drinkers over the age of 50 had a 23% increased risk of death compared to participants who did not binge drink in the previous year.
The study followed 129,000 adults aged 50 and over for up to 12 years and found that the risk of death increased with the frequency of binge drinking. This is after taking into account health status, mental health and socio-economic factors.
Published in alcoholfound that about 21% binge drink less than once a month, and 10.8% binge drink 1 to 3 times a month. The largest number of consumers, 8%, used it weekly or more frequently. Most of the sample did not engage in binge drinking (60%).
When sociodemographic factors were taken into account, people who never binge drank had a 34% lower risk of death than those who drank weekly or more. This was significant even when accounting for smoking status, self-reported health status, chronic disease, physical activity, and mental health.
“Much of the research on binge drinking focuses on young people,” says Dr. Andy McNeil. student at the Factor Inwentash Faculty of Social Work (FIFSW) at the University of Toronto.
“Our findings show that binge drinking is not only prevalent among adults aged 50 and older, but is also associated with a significantly increased risk of death. Older adults should also be included in prevention and screening efforts.”
fundamental reason
Researchers explain that participants’ prior health conditions often complicate alcohol research.
Without accounting for alcohol intake, non-binge drinkers had higher mortality rates, which is common in alcohol studies. Researchers say this is because people with health problems often stop drinking, commonly referred to as the “disease-induced quitting effect.”
“our analysis “This paper demonstrates the importance of considering underlying health and socio-economic factors when examining alcohol-related risks,” said co-author and FIFSW PhD candidate Yu Lung, “When these factors are considered, the elevated risks associated with frequent binge drinking become apparent.”
Esme Fuller-Thomson, professor at FIFSW and director of the Life Course and Aging Institute at the University of Toronto, added: “As Canada’s population ages, we must challenge the misconception that late-life drug use is less significant.”
“Primary care providers and public health campaigns must ensure that older adults are not overlooked in conversations about binge drinking and its health consequences. Public health messages tend to focus on college campuses, but our findings show that we need to think about retirement communities as well.”
The authors note that the results were obtained from a one-time study, so long-term studies are needed to further confirm the findings. Moreover, as observational studies, they can only identify associations and cannot prove causation.
There is no safe amount
Previous independent alcohol studies have shown that no amount of alcohol is completely safe. Regardless of the amount of alcohol consumed, Increases risk of dementiachallenges previously held beliefs about the benefits of light drinking. Heavy drinkers who drank 40 or more drinks a week had a 41% higher risk.
Another recent study examining lifetime alcohol consumption found a stronger association Colorectal cancer and rectal cancer risk. The data showed that current drinkers and heavy drinkers were particularly at risk compared to light drinkers or non-drinkers. It was also higher if heavy drinking continued during adulthood.
Furthermore, a study of approximately 20,000 participants in three countries found that even small amounts of alcohol consumption high risk of high blood pressure.