Researchers found that seniors who drank more than what has been previously recommended — no more than one drink per day — were not affected negatively by their increased alcohol consumption.HERE’S MUD IN YOUR EYE:
Drinking guidelines for seniors too harsh
By Jaime Richardson, Green Valley News
Go ahead, spike the eggnog.
A new study says moderate drinking poses no additional risks for those over 65, contrary to previous medical findings.
Researchers at the U.K.’s Peninsula Medical School studied the effects of alcohol consumption in 13,000 people in U.S. and U.K., looking at how physical disability, mortality, cognitive function, depression and well-being were impacted.
They found that seniors who drank more than what has been previously recommended — no more than one drink per day — were not affected negatively by their increased alcohol consumption.
“We are not advocating that elderly people should go out and get ridiculously drunk,” said the author of the study, Dr. Iain Lang, in a statement.
“What we are saying is that current guidelines on drinking for the elderly are too conservative, and that a couple of drinks a day will do no harm, and will in fact have a more beneficial affect on cognitive and general health than abstinence.”
The research indicates no difference in the health results of seniors who consume zero to one drinks per day, and those who consume more than two drinks per day.
...But you may want to go for a rum-free second helping of the holiday drink, anyhow.
The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (which posts the recommended limit for seniors and women and one drink per day; adult males at two drinks) warns that alcohol slows a person’s coordination and reaction time and may put older people at higher risk for falls, car crashes, and other injuries.
Mixing alcohol with medications, which seniors are prone to take more of, can be dangerous or fatal, the institute warns; alcohol can also make medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and ulcers, more serious.
Another recent study has shown that seniors are at an increased risk for dehydration, which would exacerbate the effects of alcohol.
When University of Texas scientists gave two groups of participants — one aged 21-30 and the other aged 65 to 74 — salty water intravenously to induce thirst, they found that the older group consumed half as much water as the younger group.
According to the study, this is due to the decreased functioning ability of the brain’s mid cingulate cortex — the part of the brain which governs water requirements — which happens as we age.
As a result, older people have more difficulty recognizing when their body is deprived of water, and can become easily dehydrated — a problem that would only be made worse by alcohol consumption.
Photo illustration by Mario Aguilar