Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 26, 2026

Modeling Alcohol Consumption in Rodents Using Two-Bottle Choice Home Cage Drinking and Microstructural Analysis
Published on: November 8, 2024
Changes in drinking status, serious illness and mortality
Kaye Middleton Fillmore1, William C Kerr, Alan Bostrom
1Department of Social and Behavioral Science, University of California, San Francisco, Box 0612, San Francisco, California 94143-0612, USA. kmfalc@itsa.ucsf.edu
Objective:
We studied the relationship of drinking and abstaining with all-cause mortality in a two-measurement-point prospective study to assess the importance of drinking change versus stability among the healthy and seriously ill.
Method:
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey I (NHANES I) and follow-up of men and women (age 22-49 and 50+) at first measurement (1971-74) who survived until second measurement (1982-84) were followed in death records for 10 years (1993). Cox proportional hazards models evaluated those with and without serious illness.
Results:
We found no elevated mortality risk for consistent never drinkers, but consistent heavier drinkers were at higher all-cause risk among men. Groups of abstainers significantly differed for mortality risk, and illness was implicated in these differences. New drinkers who formerly abstained did not improve their chances for longevity. Heavier drinking men who decreased consumption increased their chances for survival.
Conclusions:
Abstinence per se is not a risk factor for all-cause mortality, but heavier drinking is a risk factor among men. Adoption of drinking among former abstainers does not improve chances for survival. Reduction in consumption among heavier drinking men improves chances for survival.
Related Concept Videos
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques IV
Classification of Illness
An illness is a response to a disease in which the person's level of functioning is changed compared with a previous level. The general classification of illness includes acute and chronic.
Acute illness is severe and...
Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis I
Causative Organism
The primary infectious agent causing tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a slow-growing, acid-fast, aerobic rod that exhibits sensitivity to heat and ultraviolet light. Instances of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium contributing to the development of TB infection are rare.
Mode of...
Disorder of Water Balance
Dehydration
Dehydration occurs when the body loses fluids (particularly water).
Causes:
The major causes of dehydration include excessive sweating, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and diuresis.
Signs and Symptoms:
Symptoms primarily include intense...
