Longer Life, Better Life for Drinkers

Recent studies of the impact of drinking on longevity conclude that moderate drinkers live longer. However, most studies do not address the QUALITY of those longer years. A study of 1201 elderly community-dwelling persons aged 70-75 years were followed for 12 years to determine the impact of drinking and lifespan. Moderate drinkers, those who consumed 3/4- two oz. daily, lived longer, had higher cognitive and physical functioning, were less disbled, and had fewer chronic diseases AND had better moods. Heavy drinkers had the highest mortality followed by the abstainers. This study indicates that future studies should not only seek answers to prolonging life, but the quality of those added years. Source: Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences: 2007, Vol. 62, No. 11, pg. 1313-1314. Posted by Dr. Jan Vinita White, PhD, Gerontologist