Older Alcohol Drinkers Live Longer Than Teetotalers

This tells us a great deal about most pharmaceutical drug studies—especially why they shouldn't be trusted.

by Heidi Stevenson

31 August 2010

In the past, when a study has documented that alcohol drinking is better for health than abstension, the naysayers have jumped out and said, "That can't be true. The study failed to account for [enter your favorite rationalization]." So, a recent study set out to find the truth by factoring in all those rationalizations. The results are startling. Without question, in older adults, moderate drinkers have less than half the risk of death than do abstainers when confounders are not factored in, and they do 51% better when confounders are included.

That's just the beginning, though. Those who abstain have a higher death rate than heavy drinkers—even when confounders are considered! Those who drink moderately do better than those who drink lightly. And the old excuse that teetotalers, as a group, don't live as long because they include former imbibers was also shown to be false.

Studies to identify the dangers of alcohol have been done since medical journals came into existence, and most likely long before. As a rule, the authors of those studies have tried to demonstrate how dangerous alcohol is. After all, we know it causes cirrhosis of the liver and some kinds of cancer. So, how can this study be accurate?

A Brief Look at the Study

The study, titled "Late-Life Alcohol Consumption and 20-Year Mortality", was published in the journal, Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research. The authors followed 1,824 adults for 20 years. They were all between ages 55 and 65 at the study's start. Deaths from all causes were recorded.

Moderate drinking was defined as 2-3 drinks per day. Anything less was classified as light drinking, and more was classified as heavy drinking. Abstainers were those who never drank from the start of the study.

During the course of the study, 69% of the abstainers died, 60% of the heavy drinkers died, and 41% of the moderate drinkers died. After confounders, such as socio-economic status, sex, former problem drinking, and pre-existing health problems, the final analysis still showed significantly increased mortality of abstainers over moderate drinkers—51% higher. After accounting for confounders, moderate drinkers were found to have mortality rates 45% lower than heavy drinkers.

How Can Something Harmful Result in Longer Life?

So, how can drinking alcohol, which is known to cause significant adverse effects, result in longer life? The answer can be found in how so many drug studies manage to show benefits, when they actually shorten life.

Think of alcohol as a drug. It is, you know. Like most drugs, it has negative effects. It also has benefits. Studies focused on alcohol have tended to look only at the harm it can do. Cirrhosis is a killer. Esophageal cancer and mouth cancers are, too. However, those are not the only effects:

• Alcohol is also a relaxant. One of the main reasons people drink alcohol after a long day's work is its ability to soothe and relax. It's not a secret that relaxation is healthy, while ongoing stress is harmful.
• Alcohol relaxes muscles, too. Spasms are eased. Pain is often alleviated with alcohol, and any chronic pain sufferer knows that pain itself is a killer.
• Alcohol eases inhibitions. Easing inhibitions makes it easier for many people to mix at social occasions. So, alcohol helps alleviate loneliness.

Pharmaceutical drug studies generally focus on perceived benefits, ignoring—as much as possible—the harmful effects. That's why so many harmful drugs are approved. In the case of alcohol, the opposite has generally been considered. What's most striking about the alcohol studies is how many have documented its benefits, in spite of the usual goal to find how harmful it is.

Should You Take Up Drinking?

One factor that the study didn't consider—and probably no study ever will—is who drinks and who doesn't. It could very well be true that people who choose not to drink would suffer more ill health than those who do drink. The simple fact is that we are not all the same.

Keep in mind that the study addressed only people who were age 55-65 at the start. At the end, the survivors were 75-85 years old. It's certainly worth noting that more than half the moderate drinkers were still alive! However, it tells us absolutely nothing about younger people. In no sense does it justify young people's drinking. Of course, it doesn't say anything against it, either.

Studies like these tell us absolutely nothing about the individual. After all, some people die of alcohol-induced illness. Others die of illnesses that might have been prevented or delayed by drinking alcohol. The fact is that each one of us cannot know exactly how we'll respond. Therefore, the only rational advice is to drink moderately, if you are so inclined. If not, then abstain. This is not a moral issue. It's a matter of what's best for each of us individually.

Ultimately, the most significant factor in each of our lives is quality of life—isn't it?

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