“Older Adults Do Not Benefit From Moderate Drinking, Large Study Finds”
August 12, 2024, by Roni Caryn Rabin.
Dr. Catena’s Response:
Following is an exclusive response from Dr. Laura Catena to the Editor RE “Older Adults Do Not Benefit From Moderate Drinking, Large Study Finds”.
The article “Older Adults Do Not Benefit from Moderate Drinking” misinforms the public. The referenced August 12th JAMA Network study by Dr. Ortolá et al. actually finds that people defined as healthy (using UK Biobank’s Frailty Index) were not harmed by drinking moderately, in fact healthy adults over 60 were found to have no statistically significant increase in mortality or cancer risk from these low-moderate levels of drinking. The analysis also shows that in some groups, drinking wine (as opposed to beer or spirits) and drinking with meals has a statistically significant reduction in cancer risk and mortality. These findings, in plain view for anyone who reads the entire study, were seemingly ignored in favor of a provocative narrative. The article also questions previous data showing putative benefits against cardiovascular disease from alcohol. The Lancet (July 2022) states that “for adults over age 40, consuming a small amount of alcohol can provide some health benefits such as reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes.” Educating audiences on new studies is important and necessary, but it must be done in a way that incorporates the entirety of findings not just those findings that fit into a story line.
Laura Catena, MD and Vintner
Stanford Medical School Class of 1992
Practicing Emergency Physician in San Francisco for 25 yearsn’t there to suggest the risks outweigh these benefits.
In Defense of Wine 
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