A Canadian study has linked binge drinking at age 50 and above to an increased mortality risk of 23% compared to the participants who did not binge drink in the year before.
The study followed 129,000 adults aged 50 and above for up to 12 years and found an increased mortality risk with binge drinking frequency. This was after accounting for health status, mental health, and socioeconomic factors.
Published in Alcohol, it found that around 21% engaged in binge drinking less than once a month, and 10.8% one to three times per month. The biggest consumers, accounting for 8%, did it weekly or more. Most of the sample did not binge drink (60%).
When the sociodemographic factors were accounted for, individuals who never engaged in binge drinking had a 34% lower mortality risk when compared to those who did it weekly or…