A lifetime history of alcohol use disorder increases risk for chronic medical conditions after stable remission.
BACKGROUND
The long-term impact of a past alcohol use disorder (AUD) among those who are currently in stable remission has not been well-explored. This study examined whether a past history of AUD was associated with increased risk for chronic medical conditions in a large U.S. nationally representative sample of adults ≥30 years old.


METHODS
Using 25,840 participants from Wave 1 and Wave 2 surveys of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Condition (NESARC), multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to compare the risk for reporting metabolic, cardiovascular, liver, gastrointestinal, and inflammatory conditions between those in full-remission from AUD for longer than 5 years and those without a history of AUD diagnosis.


RESULTS
Compared with a model adjusting only for age, a model adjusting for other potential psychosocial confounders revealed fewer significant associations between AUD history and chronic medical conditions, particularly for the middle-aged population and for men. For the elderly, AUD history was associated with more chronic medical conditions in fully adjusted models. AUD history was associated with severe medical conditions such as liver diseases and myocardial infarction in women. In general, longer AUD exposure and shorter remission were also associated with the risk for chronic medical conditions.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest associations between past AUD diagnosis and chronic medical conditions, particularly for the elderly individuals. Screening for past alcohol use problems and associated health risks are important for the promotion of aging and prevention of chronic medical conditions even when an individual presents no current symptoms of AUD.
School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, NY, United States. Electronic address: tschaller@albany.edu.
Tomoko
T
Udo
School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, NY, United States.
Elizabeth
E
Vásquez
School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, NY, United States.
Benjamin A
BA
Shaw
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
Age; Alcohol use disorder; Chronic medical conditions; Gender; Past diagnosis; Remission