Alcohol consumption and functional limitations in older men

Scientists evaluated the dose-response relationships between alcohol consumption and functional limitations in older European men and explored the role of muscle strength as a mediator of these relationships.
17 870 men aged 65 years and older in 17 European countries and Israel from the cross-sectional study Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) were included in the study.
Outcome variables were functional limitations: mobility limitation, arm function limitation, and fine motor limitation. Basic demographics, life habits, and health status were considered as potential confounders.
Dose-response analyses revealed that moderate alcohol consumption was related to the lower odds of reporting mobility limitation (≤35 units/wk) and arm function limitation (≤41 units/wk), with a minimum odds ratio (OR) occurring at 10 units/ week drinks for mobility limitation (OR = 0.71) andarm function limitation (OR = 0.66). The odds of reporting the fine motor limitation monotonically increased with alcohol consumption when alcohol consumption was beyond 15 units/week. No significant mediating effect of grip strength on the relationships between alcohol consumption and mobility limitation and arm function limitation was found.
The study concludes that moderate alcohol consumption has a protective role in mobility and arm function limitation in older European men. Grip strength is not the main mediator of these associations, suggesting that the protective effect is independent of muscle strength. Heavy alcohol consumption is associated with higher odds of reporting fine motor limitation in older European men.
Source: Alcohol Consumption and Functional Limitations in Older Men: Does Muscle Strength Mediate Them? Wang T, Sun S, Li S, Sun Y, Sun Y, Zhang D, Wu Y. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2019 Aug