Heavy drinking linked to higher death risk in older men
Men drinking at least 42 units of alcohol a week had a 38% higher risk of death than those drinking under seven units.
Researchers followed 4,582 London civil servants aged 70 or older, all men without prior heart and blood vessel disease or cancer, in an observational cohort study. They recorded alcohol use through postal questionnaires in 1997–98 and separated lifelong non-drinkers, former drinkers and current drinkers. Follow-up lasted an average of 11.8 years, during which 4,194 men died.
Compared with men drinking under seven units a week, former drinkers and those drinking at least 42 units a week had the highest risks of death. Among current drinkers, higher intake was linked to higher risks of death overall and from causes other than heart and blood vessel disease. The link with deaths from heart and blood vessel disease was uncertain. Excluding deaths in the first five years did not change the findings.
Why it matters
The study addressed an unresolved question about alcohol use and survival after age 70, including whether associations differ by cause of death.
Caveats
This observational study cannot show that alcohol caused the differences in mortality, and alcohol intake was self-reported. The cohort included only male London civil servants.
From the paper
- Participants
A total of 4,582 participants with no prior diagnosis of heart disease, stroke or cancer (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) were included in the present study (Table S1).
- Result
Compared with light drinkers (who consumed < 7 units/week) (HR: 1.00, 95% CI 0.94–1.06), there were higher risks of all-cause mortality in both ex-drinkers (1.21, 1.11–1.32) and those with heavy alcohol intake (≥ 42 units/week) (1.38, 1.15–1.67) …
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The paper
University of Oxford
European Journal of Epidemiology, 12 Oct 2026
