The Elderly Drink More Alcohol Than You Would Think . . .

Moderate alcohol intake – one drink a day for women, two for men, as a rough guide – is good for you.  It can have a protective effect on the occurrence of heart attack, stroke, dementia, and even type 2 diabetes.  But a new study posted online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine finds that more than a third of drinkers over 60 drink excessive amounts, or that can be harmful if they are taking some medications. 

More than 3,300 older patients visiting primary care clinics in California were surveyed, and at-risk drinkers identified. At-risk drinking was classified into 3 groups: drinking when suffering from a high-risk illness, drinking when taking a medication at risk of interaction with alcohol, and excessive alcohol use alone.

The results showed that over one third (34.7%) of the surveyed were at-risk drinkers.  There were 62% with serious co-morbidities (e.g. liver disease, gastritis, depression, gout high blood pressure, or some cancers), 61% who reported high-risk medication use (e.g. tranquilizers, sedatives, antihistamines, or drugs for more serious conditions), and 64% who just drank too much.  (There was overlap between groups, with 56% of patients who were ‘at-risk’ for two, and 31% for all three reasons.)

In this population, ‘younger’ age groups (60 – 64 years), males, Caucasians, richer, and a lower level of education were more likely to be at risk.  However, these results may have been influenced by the demographics of the population studied in and around Santa Barbara, CA. 

These numbers are rather alarming.  Although I subscribe to the idea that moderate drinking can be good for your health, I don’t encourage the idea of excessive drinking or drinking when one is sick or taking serious meds.  Read the labels!