Why Do Heavy Drinkers Outlive Nondrinkers?
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| little_a |  | Why Do Heavy Drinkers Outlive Nondrinkers? | 01-09-2010 @ 13:22 |
 still a devious weightlifting bastard Member 43, 14374 posts | "One of the most contentious issues in the vast literature about alcohol consumption has been the consistent finding that those who don't drink actually tend to die sooner than those who do. The standard Alcoholics Anonymous explanation for this finding is that many of those who show up as abstainers in such research are actually former hard-core drunks who had already incurred health problems associated with drinking. But a new paper in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research suggests that — for reasons that aren't entirely clear — abstaining from alcohol does actually tend to increase one's risk of dying even when you exclude former drinkers. The most shocking part? Abstainers' mortality rates are higher than those of heavy drinkers. Moderate drinking, which is defined as one to three drinks per day, is associated with the lowest mortality rates in alcohol studies. Moderate alcohol use (especially when the beverage of choice is red wine) is thought to improve heart health, circulation and sociability, which can be important because people who are isolated don't have as many family members and friends who can notice and help treat health problems. But why would abstaining from alcohol lead to a shorter life? It's true that those who abstain from alcohol tend to be from lower socioeconomic classes, since drinking can be expensive. And people of lower socioeconomic status have more life stressors — job and child-care worries that might not only keep them from the bottle but also cause stress-related illnesses over long periods. (They also don't get the stress-reducing benefits of a drink or two after work.) But even after controlling for nearly all imaginable variables — socioeconomic status, level of physical activity, number of close friends, quality of social support and so on — the researchers (a six-member team led by psychologist Charles Holahan of the University of Texas at Austin) found that over a 20-year period, mortality rates were highest for those who had never been drinkers, second-highest for heavy drinkers and lowest for moderate drinkers. The sample of those who were studied included individuals between ages 55 and 65 who had had any kind of outpatient care in the previous three years. The 1,824 participants were followed for 20 years. One drawback of the sample: a disproportionate number, 63%, were men. Just over 69% of the never-drinkers died during the 20 years, 60% of the heavy drinkers died and only 41% of moderate drinkers died. These are remarkable statistics. Even though heavy drinking is associated with higher risk for cirrhosis and several types of cancer (particularly cancers in the mouth and esophagus), heavy drinkers are less likely to die than people who have never drunk. One important reason is that alcohol lubricates so many social interactions, and social interactions are vital for maintaining mental and physical health. As I pointed out last year, nondrinkers show greater signs of depression than those who allow themselves to join the party. The authors of the new paper are careful to note that even if drinking is associated with longer life, it can be dangerous: it can impair your memory severely and it can lead to nonlethal falls and other mishaps (like, say, cheating on your spouse in a drunken haze) that can screw up your life. There's also the dependency issue: if you become addicted to alcohol, you may spend a long time trying to get off the bottle. That said, the new study provides the strongest evidence yet that moderate drinking is not only fun but good for you. So make mine a double." http://ragingdebate.com/health/heavy-drinkers-outlive-nondrink... | ||
| mishima | | ... | 01-09-2010 @ 18:32 |
 pink french superstar beard Member 26, 4030 posts SQ 190, BP 0, DL 205395.0 kgs @ 75kgs UnEq | Shocking! Time to up the dosage.  | ||
| Pompy | | ... | 01-09-2010 @ 19:44 |
 My opinions have run their course Member 694, 3112 posts | I am almost entirely tee total and will take my chances lol | ||
| tonyjb72 | | ... | 02-09-2010 @ 11:46 |
 abs by summer 2011? Experts opinions vary Member 290, 2552 posts | makes me feel better about those couple of pints and glass of merlot I had after work yesterday....actually, f**k it, I never felt bad about it in the first place | ||
| Ben_Tricky_Burgess | | ... | 02-09-2010 @ 16:57 |
Member 86, 297 posts | BUllit. Im gonna get well old then. | ||
| tlast2O12dude | | ... | 02-09-2010 @ 21:22 |
 Obvious Juicer Member 1613, 1036 posts SQ 185, BP 140, DL 220545.0 kgs @ 66kgs UnEq | little_a said: ... a lot of things... COME ONNNNNNNN... this reminds me of the old comercials: -Smoking is good for you!- This is a corporate media manipulation to make us buy drinks. Instead of thinking in living longer, we should focus on living better. One day as a lion over 1000 years as a mouse! | ||
| little_a | | ... | 03-09-2010 @ 08:38 |
still a devious weightlifting bastard Member 43, 14374 posts | tlast2O12dude said: this reminds me of the old comercials You're 24. How can you possibly be reminded of old commercials? | ||
| tlast2O12dude | | ... | 04-09-2010 @ 20:57 |
Obvious Juicer Member 1613, 1036 posts SQ 185, BP 140, DL 220545.0 kgs @ 66kgs UnEq | little_a said: You're 24. How can you possibly be reminded of old commercials? i'm 24 how can i possibly remind WW2 or the prehistoic era? how can i know if the world existed before my existence or if it was randomly created for me at the time of my birth? o.0 mabe everything exists because I exists first... good question! | ||
| IrishMarc | | ... | 09-09-2010 @ 21:16 |
no really Irish Member 1196, 5908 posts SQ 312, BP 230, DL 320862.0 kgs @ 114kgs UnEq | brb tescos off liscence for life extending goodness | ||
| nutty | | ... | 12-09-2010 @ 03:33 |
Member 1450, 4 posts SQ 110, BP 80, DL 172.5362.5 kgs @ 104kgs UnEq | and this is probably the best study in the world. or was the sponsor of this study Carlsberg? | ||
| just_t | | ... | 12-09-2010 @ 09:55 |
 Mr.Fit Member 164, 5028 posts SQ 170, BP 135, DL 230535.0 kgs @ 84kgs UnEq | Where's the actual study? All I see is some article. Anyone got a link? | ||
| Gubernatrix | | ... | 12-09-2010 @ 13:41 |
 pointing the way Member 1298, 631 posts SQ 110, BP 65, DL 130305.0 kgs @ 63kgs UnEq | "One important reason is that alcohol lubricates so many social interactions, and social interactions are vital for maintaining mental and physical health." That's pretty interesting. If a glass or two of red wine helps you to relax after work, sleep better, be nicer to your partner and less stressed about life/work, I can see that leading to a longer life, epidemiologically speaking. I don't drink much and have a tendency to get a bit stressed about things, so I'm f**ked. | ||
| Mr_Ben | | ... | 12-09-2010 @ 15:39 |
 Member 1216, 194 posts SQ 240, BP 160, DL 280680.0 kgs @ 115kgs UnEq | Post Edited: 12.09.2010 @ 15:42 PM by Mr_Ben This is very interesting but how can it be true in all honesty. I work in a pub all week and all the pissheads look well knacked, they look about 60 years of age when they are 40. Drinking can be fun and I am thinking of starting to have a few jars myself but I find drinking and lifting just dont mix. Just cant see how the drinkers are going to last as just the sugar in the ale seems to cause diabetes. If you look at a bird who has been smoking and drinking for years they look well fooked and they cant be that happy. | ||
| lil_lee | | ... | 12-09-2010 @ 15:40 |
anti-social, except when needs help to put suit on Member 607, 2803 posts | nutty said:and this is probably the best study in the world. or was the sponsor of this study Carlsberg? b-e-a-utifuly done! | ||
| Gubernatrix | | ... | 12-09-2010 @ 17:23 |
pointing the way Member 1298, 631 posts SQ 110, BP 65, DL 130305.0 kgs @ 63kgs UnEq | Post Edited: 12.09.2010 @ 17:23 PM by Gubernatrix Mr_Ben said:This is very interesting but how can it be true in all honesty. I work in a pub all week and all the pissheads look well knacked That's the thing though. No mention was made of quality of life, just the fact that they don't die as soon. I don't like drinking because it interferes with training and I'm not going to start drinking more just because I might live a bit longer. It's better to achieve what you want to achieve in the lifespan you have. | ||