Alcohol Consumption linked with ‘Successful Aging’

In the Nurses’ Health Study involving 13,894 women, researchers examined the relationship between alcohol consumption and “successful ageing,” assessed at midlife. “Successful aging” was defined as survival until the age of 70 without any major chronic diseases like coronary disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes in addition to no major cognitive impairment, physical impairment, or mental health problems.

This criterion was fulfilled by only 11% of the women.

The study findings revealed that wine consumption and regular drinking helped moderate drinkers to age successfully. Compared with non-drinkers, the largest benefit of an increase of 28% was observed among women who consumed an average of just over 1 to 2 ½ drinks (15.1 – 30 g of alcohol) per day. Drinking frequency was also important: Compared with non-drinkers, the chances of successful aging was 50% greater in women who drank at least 5 days a week instead of those who drank only 1 to 2 days per week who had a slight increase in their risk of successful ageing.

To summarize, the study findings support earlier studies which demonstrate that moderate consumption of alcohol favors successful ageing, in addition to just survival.