Light to Moderate Alcohol Consumption and Disability: Variable Benefits by Health Status

Abstract

In adults, light to moderate alcohol consumption is associated with lower risks for heart disease, diabetes, and mortality. This study examined whether light to moderate alcohol use is also associated with lower risk of incident physical disability over two 5-year periods in 4,276 noninstitutionalized adults in the United States, aged 50 years or older, by using data from 3 waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study surveys from 1982 to 1992. Light/moderate drinking (<15 drinks per week and <5 per drinking day or 4 per drinking day for women) was associated with reduced risk for incident disability or death over 5 years, compared with abstention (adjusted odds ratio = 0.77; P = 0.008). Among survivors, light/moderate drinking was associated with lower risk for incident disability, compared with abstention (adjusted odds ratio = 0.75; P = 0.009). In stratified analyses, disability risk decreased with light/moderate drinking in a dose-dependent fashion in men and women with good or better self-reported health but not in men or women with fair or worse self-reported health. Alcohol consumption in moderation might reduce the risk of developing physical disability in older adults in good health but not in those in poor health.

Effects of Alcohol- and Cigarette-Use Disorders on Global and Specific Measures of Cognition in Middle-Age Adults

“…Given recent encouragement of light drinking for health benefi ts (Britton et al, 2008;Ferreira and Weems, 2008;French and Zavala, 2007;Karlamangla et al, 2009), we consider examination of unforeseen negative consequences of alcohol consumption an important avenue of continued research (Ngandu et al, 2007;Oscar-Berman and Marinkovic, 2007). In this study, we compared midlife cognition of individuals who met criteria for a lifetime alcohol diagnosis with individuals who did not.…”

Social Resources that Preserve Functional Independence after Memory Loss

“…13218 Evidence on alcohol consumption and disability has been mixed. 15,19 Moderate alcohol consumption may have a protective effect for general physical functioning, but high consumption may be harmful. 20 While this study does not specifically assess the impact of initiating alcohol consumption, it suggests that efforts to reduce alcohol consumption may not improve ADL outcomes.…”

Factors associated with alcohol intake and alcohol abuse among women in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

“…This finding contradicts observations in the literature showing a higher proportion of alcohol abuse among individuals with chronic illnesses 10,43 . Other studies have shown health benefits from alcohol consumption, but such protection only holds true with light-to-moderate drinking 10,50 .…”