BOSTON, June 22 (UPI) -- While there is solid evidence for benefits from moderate drinking, there are also risks associated with older women drinking, a U.S. newsletter reports.
Studies show one drink per day, compared with no drinking at all, can reduce a woman's risk for heart disease and stroke by as much as 50 percent and other research suggests older women who drink moderately have better cognitive skills, according to the July issue of the Harvard Women's Health Watch.
But there are also risks. Even as little as one-half drink per day increases the risk for breast cancer, possibly because alcohol raises estrogen blood levels, which can promote the growth of breast tumors.
Women are also quicker than men to become dependent on alcohol and to suffer the consequences, including damage to the brain and other organs, psychiatric problems and accidents, the newsletter says.
The Harvard Women's Health Watch suggests that women age 65 and over should limit themselves to one drink per day -- or less.
