KANSAS CITY, Missouri - Most people think the more people drink, the shorter life-span. But an article in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research abstaining from alcohol does increase one?s risk of dying, even when you exclude former drinks. The article did not explain why people live longer. Alcohol studies show the lowest mortality rate is a person who moderately drink; that?s one to three drinks a day. Red wine is also said to improve heart health, circulation and sociability. The study goes on to say people who do not drink tend to be from lower socioeconomic classes and have more life stressors such as job and child-care worries. A six-member team led by psychologist Charles Holahan of University of Texas at Austin found that over a 20-year period, mortality rates were highest for those who had never been drinkers, second-highest for heavy drinks and lowest for moderate drinkers. The study looked at people between ages 55 and 65 who had any kind of outpatient care in the previous three years. The 1,824 participants were followed for 20 years. 63% were men, just over 69% of the never-drinkers died during the 20 years, 60% of the heavy drinkers died and only 41% of moderate drinkers died. One thing to consider is heavy drinking is associated with higher risk of cirrhosis and several types of cancer such as mouth and esophagus. The paper also points how drinking can also be dangerous: it can impair your memory and lead to falls, and other dangerous situations.
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13 years ago
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