Study shines light on ‘invisible epidemic’

Early findings from the ongoing Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial-Depression Endpoint Prevention (VITAL-DEP) study are bringing to light the “invisible epidemic” of alcohol use among older adults.

“Alcohol use in the older population is a growing public health problem, and it’s going to get worse as baby boomers age,” said during an update on the study at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association. “[The problem] has been described as an invisible epidemic because of the very, very low rates of identification.”

“But this counterculture generation is bringing its alcohol and drug habits into old age,” said the professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, Boston.

It was cited in the national survey data and statistics in presentation. Accidental drug overdose death rates tell part of the story; the rates are highest among adults aged 45-60 years, at 18.67 per 100,000, compared with 18.66 in those aged 25-44 years, and 10.52 in those aged 55-74 years, adding that “it’s a problem just on the verge of exploding.”

In a subset of 1,045 subjects from among the more than 18,000 enrolled in the large, randomized VITAL-DEP study of older adults at risk for late-life depression, more than half scored 3 points or higher on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C), a three-item-alcohol screen that helps identify those who are hazardous drinkers or who have active alcohol use disorders.

VITAL-DEP

VITAL-DEP is the depression prevention ancillary study to the ongoing VITAL randomized trial, which looks at the effects of vitamin D and fish oil on preventing heart disease, cancer, and stroke in a cohort of nearly 26,000 adults. VITAL-DEP is assessing the ability of the agents to prevent depression and improve mood among older adults, according to the principal investigator, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston.

The study involving a “one-of-a-kind late-life depression prevention cohort” has successfully completed enrollment and randomized above target, with more than 18,000 subjects. Thus far, follow-up and tracking are 95%, and the study promises to serve as an invaluable resource on the topic of late-life depression and late-life emotional health beyond treatment outcomes.

 In an update on the early findings with respect to alcohol use, it was noted that one reason why the matter of alcohol use is of concern is that aging can lower the body’s tolerance to alcohol, and could explain in part the increased risk for falls, motor vehicle accidents, and unintentional injuries among adults. Alcohol use also can increase the risk of angina and coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure, liver disease, osteoporosis, memory problems, and mood disorders. In addition, alcohol can interact with medications, including seemingly benign over-the-counter-medications like herbal remedies, aspirin, and acetaminophen.

Further, a history of alcohol use disorder increases the risk for chronic medical conditions, even after 5 years of stable remission.

In VITAL-DEP, alcohol use was measured in two ways – using AUDIT-C and by measuring habitual alcohol use.  (To be continued)