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March
6 - Signs of Excessive Drinking Among the Elderly Often Missed
by Health Care and Other Providers
One out of ten elderly adults on Medicare reports drinking
more alcohol than is recommended, according to a new study
from Brandeis University.
"Even though alcohol problems are more prevalent in
younger people, a substantial proportion of older adults are
consuming alcohol in amounts that exceed recommended guidelines,"
said study co-author Elizabeth Merrick, senior scientist at
Brandeis University's Heller School for Social Policy and
Management. The study sheds light on a complex problem that
has received scant attention and is often missed by health
care and other providers, she said.
Published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics
Society, the study evaluated data about 12,413
Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 or older. Merrick and her colleagues
found that 9% engaged in unhealthy drinking - consuming more
than thirty drinks per month, or drinking four or more drinks
on any day in a typical month. The study, based on a 2003
Medicare survey, also reported that two-thirds of beneficiaries
do not drink, while one-quarter drink within the recommended
guidelines.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and
Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the American Geriatrics Society, risky
drinking among those 65 years and older occurs when a person
consumes more than seven drinks per week or more than three
drinks on a single day. Other guidelines suggest that the
single-occasion drink limit should be no more than two drinks,
and that women should drink even lower overall amounts than
men.
Merrick said some older people may not be aware that recommended
limits are lower than for younger people. Older adults are
more sensitive to alcohol and less able to metabolize it,
both of which contribute to adverse effects at any level of
drinking. Alcohol can exacerbate some medical problems, reduce
a person's ability to function, increase the risk of falls,
and negatively interact with medication.
Source: Brandeis University
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