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Patterns of alcohol consumption and risk of falls in older adults: a prospective cohort study

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Abstract

Summary

Falls are a major health problem in older adults, but their relationship with alcohol consumption in this population remains unclear. In a cohort with 2170 older adults followed up for 3.3 years, both moderate drinking and the Mediterranean drinking pattern were associated with a lower risk of falls and injurious falls.

Introduction

This study aims to examine the association between certain patterns of alcohol consumption, including the Mediterranean drinking pattern (MDP), and the risk of falls in older adults.

Methods

A prospective cohort with 2170 community-dwelling individuals aged ≥60 years was recruited in Spain in 2008–2010 and followed up through 2012. At baseline, participants reported alcohol consumption and, at the end of follow-up, their falls during the previous year. The MDP was defined as moderate alcohol consumption (threshold between moderate and heavy intake was 40 g/day for men and 24 g/day for women) with preference for wine and drinking only with meals. Analyses were conducted with negative binomial or logistic regression, as appropriate, and adjusted for the main confounders.

Results

Compared with never drinkers, the number of falls was lower in moderate drinkers (incidence rate ratio (95% confidence interval), 0.79 (0.63–0.99)) and drinkers with MDP (0.73 (0.56–0.96)). Also, moderate drinkers and those with MDP showed a lower risk of ≥2 falls (odds ratio (95% confidence interval), 0.58 (0.38–0.88) and 0.56 (0.34–0.93), respectively) and of falls requiring medical care (0.67 (0.46–0.96) and 0.61 (0.39–0.96), respectively).

Conclusion

Both moderate drinking and the MDP were associated with a lower risk of falls and injurious falls in older adults. However, sound advice on alcohol consumption should balance risks and benefits.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Idipaz, Calle del Arzobispo Morcillo 4, 28029, Madrid, Spain

    R. Ortolá, E. García-Esquinas, I. Galán, P. Guallar-Castillón, E. López-García, J. R. Banegas & F. Rodríguez-Artalejo

  2. CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Avenida de Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029, Madrid, Spain

    E. García-Esquinas, P. Guallar-Castillón, E. López-García, J. R. Banegas & F. Rodríguez-Artalejo

  3. National Centre for Epidemiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Calle de Sinesio Delgado 4, 28029, Madrid, Spain

    I. Galán

  4. IMDEA Food Institute, CEI UAM+CSIC, Ctra. de Canto Blanco 8, 28049, Madrid, Spain

    P. Guallar-Castillón, E. López-García & F. Rodríguez-Artalejo

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  1. R. Ortolá
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  2. E. García-Esquinas
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  3. I. Galán
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  4. P. Guallar-Castillón
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  5. E. López-García
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  6. J. R. Banegas
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  7. F. Rodríguez-Artalejo
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to R. Ortolá or F. Rodríguez-Artalejo.

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None.

Funding

This work was mainly supported by grant no. 02/2014 from the Plan Nacional sobre Drogas (Ministry of Health of Spain). Additional funding was obtained from FIS grants nos. 12/1166, 13/0288, and 16/609 (Instituto de Salud Carlos III, State Secretary of R+D+I and FEDER/FSE), the FRAILOMIC Initiative (FP7-HEALTH-2012-Proposal no. 305483-2), and the ATHLOS project (EU H2020-Project ID no. 635316). The funding agencies had no role in study design, data analysis, interpretation of results, manuscript preparation, or in the decision to submit this manuscript for publication.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Ortolá, R., García-Esquinas, E., Galán, I. et al. Patterns of alcohol consumption and risk of falls in older adults: a prospective cohort study. Osteoporos Int 28, 3143–3152 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-017-4157-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-017-4157-2

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