Many elderly drink too much alcohol

WALTHAM, Mass., March 7 (UPI) -- One out of 10 elderly adults drinks 30 alcoholic drinks per month or four drinks on any one day in a typical month, a U.S. study found.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, also found two-thirds of the 12,413 Medicare beneficiaries age 65 or older surveyed didn't drink, while one-quarter drank within recommended guidelines.

"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," study co-author Elizabeth Merrick of Brandeis University said in a statement.

Merrick says some older people may not be aware that recommended limits are lower than for younger people. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the American Geriatrics Society define risky drinking by those over age 65 as more than seven drinks per week or more than three drinks in one day.

"There are many people for whom lower amounts, or even any amount, of alcohol may constitute a serious risk because of specific medical problems or medication interactions," Merrick said.

Older adults are less able to metabolize alcohol so smaller amounts may also reduce the ability to function and increase the risk of falls.