OBJECTIVE: This study examined the residual effects of young adult diagnostic drinking on health outcomes four decades later in late life. Results were differentiated by drinking status during midlife. METHOD: A subsample of Vietnam Era Twin Registry members, all of whom had a lifetime diagnosis of alcohol dependence, was grouped according to life span drinking patterns as assessed by the Lifetime Drinking History interview in 2001. Those drinking at diagnostic levels (endorsing three or more alcohol dependence symptoms) before age 30 were then grouped based on their midlife drinking status (i.e., drinking at diagnostic levels vs. at minimal [nonsymptomatic] levels throughout midlife). Linear (or logistic) regression models were used to examine the association between life span drinking patterns and health outcomes in late life (about age 64). RESULTS: Those who drank at diagnostic levels in young adulthood and in midlife exhibited significant health liabilities on every late-life health measure; those who drank at diagnostic levels for 5 or more years in young adulthood but drank only at minimal levels or not at all in midlife still exhibited similar liabilities on most late-life health measures. Only those individuals who drank diagnostically for less than 5 years in young adulthood displayed normal levels of late-life health. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified residual effects resulting from persistent young adult diagnostic drinking (5 or more years) that resulted in negative health outcomes in late life even after decades of remission. There is a distal but surprisingly strong association between persistent early life diagnostic drinking and late-life morbidity.
OBJECTIVE: This study examined the residual effects of young adult diagnostic drinking on health outcomes four decades later in late life. Results were differentiated by drinking status during midlife. METHOD: A subsample of Vietnam Era Twin Registry members, all of whom had a lifetime diagnosis of alcohol dependence, was grouped according to life span drinking patterns as assessed by the Lifetime Drinking History interview in 2001. Those drinking at diagnostic levels (endorsing three or more alcohol dependence symptoms) before age 30 were then grouped based on their midlife drinking status (i.e., drinking at diagnostic levels vs. at minimal [nonsymptomatic] levels throughout midlife). Linear (or logistic) regression models were used to examine the association between life span drinking patterns and health outcomes in late life (about age 64). RESULTS: Those who drank at diagnostic levels in young adulthood and in midlife exhibited significant health liabilities on every late-life health measure; those who drank at diagnostic levels for 5 or more years in young adulthood but drank only at minimal levels or not at all in midlife still exhibited similar liabilities on most late-life health measures. Only those individuals who drank diagnostically for less than 5 years in young adulthood displayed normal levels of late-life health. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified residual effects resulting from persistent young adult diagnostic drinking (5 or more years) that resulted in negative health outcomes in late life even after decades of remission. There is a distal but surprisingly strong association between persistent early life diagnostic drinking and late-life morbidity.
Authors: Rifqi O Affan; Siyuan Huang; Stephen M Cruz; Lee A Holcomb; Edward Nguyen; Ksenija Marinkovic Journal: Alcohol Date: 2018-01-08 Impact factor: 2.405
Authors: Marina Epstein; Jennifer A Bailey; Madeline Furlong; Richard F Catalano; John W Toumbourou Journal: J Adolesc Health Date: 2019-10-30 Impact factor: 5.012
Authors: Mallory Stephenson; Peter Barr; Fazil Aliev; Albert Ksinan; Antti Latvala; Eero Vuoksimaa; Richard Viken; Richard J Rose; Jaakko Kaprio; Danielle Dick; Jessica E Salvatore Journal: Twin Res Hum Genet Date: 2021-09-16 Impact factor: 2.470
Authors: Atiqul Haq Mazumder; Jennifer Barnett; Nina Lindberg; Minna Torniainen-Holm; Markku Lähteenvuo; Kaisla Lahdensuo; Martta Kerkelä; Jarmo Hietala; Erkki Tapio Isometsä; Olli Kampman; Tuula Kieseppä; Tuomas Jukuri; Katja Häkkinen; Erik Cederlöf; Willehard Haaki; Risto Kajanne; Asko Wegelius; Teemu Männynsalo; Jussi Niemi-Pynttäri; Kimmo Suokas; Jouko Lönnqvist; Solja Niemelä; Jari Tiihonen; Tiina Paunio; Aarno Palotie; Jaana Suvisaari; Juha Veijola Journal: Brain Sci Date: 2021-05-23