Abandonment of alcohol can improve mental well-being and quality of life related to health

Quitting smoking can improve the quality of life related to women's health, especially their mental well-being, according to a Hong Kong study published in CMAJ (Journal of the Canadian Medical Association).

"More and more evidence suggests that it is prudent to recommend moderate consumption as part of a healthy diet," says Dr. Michael Ni, of the School of Public Health and Nutrition. State Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science of the University of Hong Kong (HKU).

The study by Dr. Xiaoxin Yao, Dr. Michael Ni, Dr. Herbert Pang and HKU colleagues included 10,386 people in the Hong Kong FAMILY cohort who drank moderately (14 drinks or less per week for men and women). adolescents). 7 glbades or less per week for women) between 2009 and 2013. The researchers compared their results with data from the national epidemiological survey on alcoholism and related disorders, a representative survey of 31 079 people by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse United States.

The average age of participants in the FAMILY cohort was 49 years and 56% were women. About 64% of the men were non-drinkers (abstainers and former drinkers) and nearly 88% of the women were non-drinkers. The men and women who abstained all their lives had the highest level of mental well-being at the beginning of the study (baseline). For women who drank moderately and quit drinking, quitting was linked to a positive change in the mental well-being of Chinese and American study populations. These findings were apparent after adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, body mbad index, smoking, and other factors.

"Global consumption of alcohol is expected to continue to increase if effective strategies are not used," said Dr. Ni. "Our results suggest that, according to the recommendations, moderate alcohol consumption could improve health-related quality of life." Stop drinking may be badociated with a more favorable change in mental well-being, close to the level of alcohol. Abstention in the course of life. "

"The evolution of moderate consumption of alcohol and quality of life: data from two population cohorts" is published on July 8, 2019.

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