title: Associations between AUDIT-C and mortality vary by age and sex.
abstract: We sought to determine the sex- and age-specific risk of mortality associated with scores on the 3-item Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) questionnaire using data from a national sample of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients. Men (N = 215,924) and women (N = 9168) who completed the AUDIT-C in a patient survey were followed for 24 months. AUDIT-C categories (0, 1-4, 5-8, 9-12) were evaluated as predictors of mortality in logistic regression models, adjusted for age, race, education, marital status, smoking, depression, and comorbidities. For women, AUDIT-C scores of 9-12 were associated with a significantly increased risk of death compared to the AUDIT-C 1-4 group (odds ratio [OR] 7.09; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.67, 18.82). For men overall, AUDIT-C scores of 5-8 and 9-12 were associated with increased risk of death compared to the AUDIT-C 1-4 group (OR 1.13, 95% CI = 1.05, 1.21, and OR 1.63, 95% CI = 1.45, 1.84, respectively) but these associations varied by age. These results provide sex- and age-tailored risk information that clinicians can use in evidence-based conversations with patients about the health-related risks of their alcohol consumption. This study adds to the growing literature establishing the AUDIT-C as a scaled marker of alcohol-related risk or "vital sign" that might facilitate the detection and management of alcohol-related risks and problems.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Care Evaluation, VA Palo Alto Health Care System and Stanford University School of Medicine . Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA. Alexander.Harris2@va.gov
authors.forename: Alex H S
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Katharine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bowe
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*; D015415:Biomarkers; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers