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New study confirms link between breast cancer and hormone therapy Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research 2007 Saward Lecture Kaiser Permanente Study Shows Flu Vaccine Safe for Young Children Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research Launches Two New Smoking Cessation Studies OHSU, Kaiser Permanente Northwest Partner to Win $55 Million Grant to Transform Medical Research Kaiser Permanente of Georgia to merge research program Making longer-term lifestyle changes lowers rates of high blood pressure and risk of heart disease |
What's New - Drinking Study Light-to-Moderate Drinkers Appear to Have Better Health Than Abstainers and Former Drinkers (PORTLAND, Ore.) – Light-to-moderate drinkers appear to have better health and health-related behaviors than both former drinkers and lifelong abstainers, according to a new study conducted by Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research and published in the November issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The study, funded by Kaiser Permanente, analyzed data on 3,803 Northwest members of the health care organization who had responded to a mailed health survey in 1995. After analyzing drinking habits, researchers grouped people into four categories -- lifelong abstainers, former drinkers, light-to-moderate drinkers, and heavier drinkers. Light-to-moderate drinking was defined as 60 or fewer drinks a month and heavier drinking as more than 60 drinks a month. Previous studies have shown that light-to-moderate drinking is associated with certain health benefits when light-to-moderate drinkers are compared with all non-drinkers. However, some of the studies had not adequately accounted for potential differences between lifelong abstainers and former drinkers, the latter of whom may have quit drinking because of health problems. This new study showed that both lifelong abstainers and former drinkers had worse mental and physical health than people who were light-to-moderate drinkers. Both groups of non-drinkers were more likely to report that their health had worsened in the past year. Lifelong abstainers were more likely to have diabetes after age 40, were less likely to have had a flu shot or Pap test, or to have attempted to increase exercise in the last 12 months. Abstainers also reported worse scores than light-to-moderate drinkers on six of nine measures generally accepted as indicators of overall health (things such as vitality, mental health, physical functioning, health problems interfering with social activities, etc.). However, they were way ahead of light-to-moderate drinkers on one important health measure -- they were 47 percent less likely to smoke. Former drinkers reported more depression, heart problems, chronic bronchitis, and diabetes after age 40, and were 31 percent more likely to smoke than light-to-moderate drinkers. On all nine health measures, former drinkers also reported worse scores than light-to-moderate drinkers. The study also showed that heavier drinkers had higher rates of high blood pressure and depression, and worse health behaviors (such as nearly five times the rate of smoking) than light-to-moderate drinkers, but were similar on eight of the nine measures of overall health. "These results raise some interesting questions," say authors Carla A. Green, Ph.D., M.P.H.and Michael R. Polen, M.A., of the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research. "You might expect lifelong abstainers to be healthier and to have better health habits than moderate drinkers, but that's not what we found. The question, of course, is why. Our study wasn't designed to answer this question, but it suggests that light-to-moderate drinkers may be more likely to use preventive health care services and slightly more likely to try to improve various health behaviors." Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research, founded in 1964, is a not-for-profit research institute dedicated to improving the health of all people. Kaiser Permanente is a group practice health care organization serving the health care needs of more than 445,000 people in Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington. For more infomation contact: Released: November 21, 2001 |
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Updated 21 Nov. 2002 |