Patterns of alcohol consumption and health-related quality of life in older adults

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is a more powerful predictor of health services use and mortality than many objective measures of health. However, in older adults the association between main alcohol drinking patterns and HRQOL is uncertain. Methods: A prospective cohort with 2163 community-dwelling individuals aged ≥60 years was recruited in Spain in 2008-2010 and followed-up through 2012. At baseline, participants reported alcohol consumption. HRQOL was measured with the SF-12 questionnaire, at baseline and in 2012. Results: In cross-sectional analyses at baseline, compared to non-drinkers, better scores on the physical component summary (PCS) of the SF-12 were reported in moderate (β=1.59 [95% confidence interval 0.61-2.58]) and heavy drinkers (β=2.18 [0.57-3.79]). Better scores on the PCS were also reported by drinkers who adhered to the Mediterranean drinking pattern (MDP) (β=1.43 [0.30-2.56]) as well as those who did not (β=1.89 [0.79-2.99]). However, no association was observed between average alcohol consumption or the MDP and the mental component summary (MCS) of the SF-12; or between beverage preference or drinking with meals and either the PCS or MCS scores. In prospective analyses, women who reportedly drank exclusively with meals showed better scores on the PCS than women who drank only outside of meals (β=3.64 [0.79-6.50]). Conclusions: The small association between alcohol consumption and better physical HRQOL found at baseline was not apparent after a few years of follow-up. Medical advice on alcohol consumption cannot be grounded on its effects on HRQOL.