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There may be plenty of fun things to do in retirement, but experts say increased drinking shouldn’t be among them.
Dr. George F. Koob, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, said the increased drinking among people over 65 is a major problem, given the health effects of drinking in older adults. Ta.
percentage of elderly people drinking alcohol It’s increasing every month, especially for women, Korb said. And older people who drink drink more often than people under 65, he added.
” baby boomer generation “The cohort (born 1946 to 1964) is changing alcohol use among older Americans in two important ways,” Korb said in an email. “First, alcohol use rates among older adults are increasing because they tend to drink more alcohol and use other drugs more than previous generations.”
The second method is from vast numbers. With a large population of baby boomers, more people are binge drinking, developing alcohol use disorders and dying from alcohol-related causes, he said.
“The rapid increase in the number of over-65s drinking alcohol could increase the burden on the health system,” he said.
The conversation around alcohol is changing as more people seek alternatives to alcohol for a healthy lifestyle, but the culture has largely been driven by young people, Korb said.
“Given alcohol’s historical role in the fabric of everyday life, older adults may be less aware of its harm,” he says.
The first thing older adults need to know is that people don’t react to alcohol the same way in their 70s as they did in their 30s, Korb said.
“As we age, our bodies change, and these changes make us more susceptible to the harms caused by alcohol consumption,” he says.
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Dr. Stephanie Collier, director of geriatric psychiatry education at McLean Hospital in Massachusetts, says older adults react much more strongly to alcohol because their metabolism slows.
Dr. Stephanie Collier, director of geriatric psychiatry education at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, said that as we age, the enzymes that metabolize alcohol decrease. She added that older people’s reactions to drinking may be stronger as their metabolisms slow.
Korb said consuming the same amount of alcohol when you’re younger will have more severe effects years later, as your body also loses water as you age, contributing to higher blood alcohol levels. .
These changes in how alcohol affects the body have profound implications for healthy aging, Korb said.
The effects of alcohol on things like driving ability, reaction time, memory and balance are greater in older people than in younger drinkers, he added.
Balance is especially problematic given that it is a leading cause of injury in adults over 65 years of age. research suggests Korb said falls while intoxicated tend to be more serious.
The combination of alcohol and drugs is also dangerous, with nearly 90% of older adults taking at least one drug on a regular basis, Collier said.
“One study “We found that older adults were more likely to experience respiratory depression than younger adults when using alcohol and opioids together,” Korb said. “This is alarming given that opioid overdoses lead to death primarily due to respiratory depression.”
Alcohol can also weaken the body’s ability to fight infections, which is even more of a concern in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. have a major impact on the elderly populationadded Mr. Korb.
Unfortunately, no matter how much you drink, Collier says, it’s not healthy. She recommends her patients either not drink at all or switch to non-alcoholic beer for their daily routine.
If that sounds like a tall order, she recommends trying something like: Quit drinking for 1-2 weeks And see how you feel.
“Your body is telling you that you feel better when you reduce your alcohol intake,” Korb said in an email.
Corb says alcohol use disorder or drinking problems can be harder to spot in older adults who are retired, live alone or are less sociable because the signs are less obvious.
There are screening tools available to help you decipher whether your drinking is a problem, such as the Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test – Seniors Version. (SMAST-G), he added. However, clinicians also need to regularly ask patients about their drinking behavior.
the current Dietary guidelines for Americans Collier recommends no more than two drinks a day for men and one for women. But less is more, Korb added.
“We believe that people of all ages can benefit from taking a step back and looking at their current relationship with alcohol,” he says. “We also believe it is important to develop alternatives to alcohol use for relaxation, socialization and relaxation. deal with stress As a result, you may reduce your alcohol intake and improve your health. ”
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