Mortality risk in older people who drank alcohol in the past by varying duration of alcohol abstention

A study explored the mortality risk in older people who drank alcohol in the past by varying the duration of alcohol abstention In total, 31,999 participants aged ≥65 years from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (Waves 1998-2014) were included. Duration of alcohol abstention was assessed and the association with all-cause mortality was examined..
During a follow-up of 140,974.8 person-years, all-cause mortality occurred in 24,257 participants. Compared with mortality among those who were current drinkers, mortality significantly increased by 23% in people who drank alcohol in the past with ≤5 years, by 17% in people who drank alcohol in the past with 5-10 years of alcohol abstention and by 17% in people who drank alcohol in the past with 10-20 years of alcohol abstention. After 20 years of alcohol abstention, the increased mortality risk disappeared (adjusted hazard ratio=1.06, 95% CI=0.97, 1.15, p=0.204). Stratified and sensitivity analysis revealed similar results. In addition, compared with the risk of all-cause mortality among people who never drink alcohol, the risk of all-cause mortality in those who drank alcohol in the past also significantly increased in the following 20 years after they stop drinking, and then the increased risk disappeared afterward.
An increased risk of all-cause mortality in older people who drank alcohol in the past was observed, which disappeared after 20 years of alcohol abstention.
Source: Wang Z, Liao H, Zheng Y, Ruan H, Li L, Zhang M, Ma M, He S. Mortality Risk in Older People Who Drank Alcohol in the Past by Varying Duration of Alcohol Abstention. Am J Prev. Med. 2023 Oct;65(4):678-686.