Binge drinking has a higher mortality risk for older drinkers, says a study on drinking and older adults conducted by the University of Texas at Austin.
This is for the first time that drinking patterns and age have been studied in detail, says a preview of the study which will be published in the May 2014 issue of ‘Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research’.
A university press release quoted the study’s chief author Charles J Holahan as saying, “Binge drinking is increasingly being recognized as a significant public health concern.” Holahan and his team used data from a larger project examining late-life patterns of alcohol consumption and drinking problems. It covered 446 adults (334 men, 112 women) in the 55 to 65 age group over a 20-year period.
“We found that among older adults, those who engage in heavy episodic drinking — even when average consumption is moderate — show significantly increased total mortality risk compared to regular moderate drinkers,” said Holahan.
The researchers said that these findings may pose special health concerns for these older adults, even though binge drinking is damaging at any age.
“Binge drinking concentrates alcohol’s toxicity and is linked to mortality by damaging body organs and increasing accident risk,” said Holahan. “Binge drinking may be additionally risky for older adults due to aging-related elevations in comorbidities as well as medication use.”
