Alcohol consumption in later life and reaching longevity:the Netherlands Cohort Study

Background: whether light-to-moderate alcohol intake is related to reduced mortality remains a subject of intense research and controversy. There are very few studies available on alcohol and reaching longevity.Methods: we investigated the relationship of alcohol drinking characteristics with the probability to reach 90 years of age. Analyses were conducted using data from the Netherlands Cohort Study. Participants born in 1916-1917 (n = 7,807) completed a questionnaire in 1986 (age 68-70 years) and were followed up for vital status until the age of 90 years (2006-07). Multivariable Cox regression analyses with fixed follow-up time were based on 5,479 participants with complete data to calculate risk ratios (RRs) of reaching longevity (age 90 years).Results: we found statistically significant positive associations between baseline alcohol intake and the probability of reaching 90 years in both men and women. Overall, the highest probability of reaching 90 was found in those consuming 5-Conclusions: the highest probability of reaching 90 years was found for those drinking 5-