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Is there a relationship between excessive drinking and functional impairment in older persons?
Alison A Moore1, Justin O Endo, M Kallin Carter
1Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA. aamoore@mednet.ucla.edu
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
|January 22, 2003
Summary
Excessive alcohol consumption, including binge drinking, is linked to functional impairments in older adults. Even moderate excessive drinking (over 7 drinks/week) can negatively impact daily living activities for seniors.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Alcohol Research
Background:
- Older adults represent a growing demographic with unique health considerations.
- Alcohol consumption patterns and their impact on functional status in this population require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between different levels of excessive alcohol drinking and binge drinking with functional status impairments in older adults.
- To identify specific drinking thresholds associated with declines in instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) and advanced activities of daily living (AADLs).
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 161 participants aged 60+ who consumed alcohol.
- Assessed excessive drinking using two thresholds (8-14 drinks/week and >14 drinks/week) and binge drinking (>3 or >=4 drinks/occasion).
- Measured functional status via self-reported IADLs and AADLs.
Main Results:
- Exceeding the higher threshold for excessive drinking (>14 drinks/week) was significantly associated with IADL (AOR=8.4) and AADL (AOR=3.7) impairments.
- The lower threshold (8-14 drinks/week) was linked to IADL impairments (AOR=6.0) but not AADLs.
- Binge drinking was associated with IADL impairments (AOR=3.0) but not AADLs.
Conclusions:
- Drinking more than seven drinks per week is associated with functional impairments in older adults.
- Higher alcohol intake and binge drinking patterns negatively affect instrumental activities of daily living in the elderly.
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