• Ziqiong Wang, Hang Liao, Yi Zheng, Haiyan Ruan, Liying Li, Muxin Zhang, Min Ma, and Sen He.
• Department of Cardiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
• Am J Prev Med. 2023 Oct 1; 65 (4): 678686678-686.

IntroductionThis study aims to explore the mortality risk in older people who drank alcohol in the past by varying the duration of alcohol abstention.MethodsIn total, 31,999 participants aged ≥65 years from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (Waves 1998, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014) were included. Duration of alcohol abstention was assessed by designed questions, and the study outcome was all-cause mortality. Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine the association. Analyses occurred from 2022 to 2023.ResultsDuring a follow-up of 140,974.8 person-years, all-cause mortality occurred in 24,257 participants. Mortality significantly increased by 23% (adjusted hazard ratio=1.23, 95% CI=1.14, 1.33, p<0.001), by 17% (adjusted hazard ratio=1.17, 95% CI=1.06, 1.31, p=0.003), and by 17% (adjusted hazard ratio=1.17, 95% CI=1.07, 1.28, p=0.001) in people who drank alcohol in the past with ≤5 years, 5-10 years, 10-20 years of alcohol abstention, respectively, compared with that among those who drink alcohol at present. After 20 years of alcohol abstention, the increased mortality risk disappeared (adjusted hazard ratio=1.06, 95% CI=0.97, 1.15, p=0.204). Stratified and sensitivity analysis revealed similar results. In addition, compared with the risk of all-cause mortality among people who never drink alcohol, the risk of all-cause mortality in those who drank alcohol in the past also significantly increased in the following 20 years after they stop drinking, and then the increased risk disappeared afterward.ConclusionsAn increased risk of all-cause mortality in older people who drank alcohol in the past was observed, which disappeared after 20 years of alcohol abstention.Copyright © 2023 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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