August 14, 2024 – People over 60 who drink alcohol Regularly there's an increased risk of early death, especially from cancer or problems related to the center and blood vessels.
That's based on the Insights in a latest, large study published this week JAMA network opened and construct on quite a few other recent studies that conclude that alcohol consumption at any level is related to significant health risks. That's a change from a long time of public health messages that suggested moderate alcohol consumption (one or two drinks per day) was not dangerous. Recently, experts have revealed flaws in the way in which researchers reached these previous conclusions.
In this latest study, researchers in Spain analyzed health data from greater than 135,000 people, all aged 60 or over, living within the UK, and submitted their health information to the UK Biobank database. The average age of the people at the start of the evaluation period was 64 years.
Researchers compared the health outcomes of occasional drinkers over a 12-year period with those that, on average, drank not less than some alcohol each day. The biggest health risks were observed between occasional drinkers and people the researchers considered “high risk.” Occasional drinkers had fewer than about two drinks per week. The high-risk group included men who drank a median of nearly three or more drinks per day and ladies who drank a median of about one and a half or more drinks per day. The evaluation found that dangerous alcohol consumption, in comparison with occasional alcohol consumption, is related to:
- A 33% increased risk of early death
- A 39% increased risk of dying from cancer
- A 21% increased risk of dying from heart and vascular problems
More moderate drinking habits were also linked to an increased risk of early death and cancer, and even drinking a median of 1 drink per day or less was linked to an 11% higher risk of dying from cancer. Light and moderate drinkers were most in danger if additionally they had health problems or experienced socioeconomic aspects comparable to living in less affluent neighborhoods.
The results also suggest that the danger could also be lower if people drink wine mostly or drink it mostly with meals. However, the researchers called for further studies on these topics as “this may primarily reflect the effects of a healthier lifestyle, slower alcohol intake, etc. non-alcoholic components of drinks.”
A current one Gallup poll showed that Americans' overall attitudes toward the health effects of alcohol are changing. 65% of young adults (ages 18 to 34) said drinking alcohol can have negative health effects. But only 39% of adults aged 55 or older agreed that drinking alcohol is harmful to their health. According to Gallup, the gap in opinion between younger and older adults about alcohol is the most important in recorded history.