Moderate alcohol intake is associated with survival in the elderly: the Dubbo study

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, 34 000) 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