A recent study of more than 135,000 older adults, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that even as little as one drink a day raises the risk of death by any cause for older adults with pre-existing conditions or low socioeconomic status. And no one, regardless of health or socioeconomic status, was immune to the potentially harmful effects of more than one drink a day.
The study found that drinkers over the age of 60 who had more than one drink a day were more likely to die that their peers who don’t drink. Moderate drinkers (about 1.5 to 2.75 drinks a day for men and .75 to 1.5 drinks a day for women) had a higher risk of cancer death. Heavy drinkers faced greater odds of both cancer- and heart-related death.
The US Surgeon General recently issued an advisory detailing the well-documented link between alcohol use and cancer.
Keep in mind that a “drink” is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of liquor.
Most people are pouring more than that and unknowingly drinking more than they intend.
If you are over 60, or have parents or loved ones that are older, it’s time for a conversation about their drinking and steps they can take to prolong their health.
Many older adults decide to quit drinking in later life. Here are some ways that you or a loved one can cut back or stop drinking:
- Count how many ounces of alcohol you are getting in each drink.
- Keep track of the number of drinks you have each day.
- Decide how many days a week you want to drink. Plan some days that are alcohol-free.
- In place of alcohol, try drinking water, juice, or soda. You could also try non-alcoholic “mocktails” or low-alcohol beer.
- Remove alcohol from the home.
- Ask for support from your family and advice from your health care provider. Get the help you need to cut back or quit drinking.
Alcohol use can be dangerous for people of any age, but alcohol affects seniors differently and should be minimized or eliminated altogether.
