Alcohol-Related Health Risks for Older Adults

This week Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Amanda Overstreet about alcohol-related health risks specifically for older adults. Dr. Overstreet is a geriatrician and Interim Medical Director of Geriatrics at MUSC.

TRANSCRIPT:

Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. A large scale research study in Britain reveals that even light consumption of alcohol on a regular basis was associated with an increase in cancer deaths among older adults. Doctor Amanda Overstreet is here to talk about the impact of alcohol consumption, specifically in the older adult years. Doctor Overstreet is a geriatrician and Interim Medical Director of Geriatrics at MUSC. Doctor Overstreet, what's going on related to older adults and alcohol consumption in the US in recent years?

Dr. Overstreet: Well, we know that alcohol use has increased nationally during the pandemic. Stress and social isolation during the pandemic seems to have increased alcohol consumption among all adults, including older adults. People 65 and older now account for 38% of alcohol related deaths, and older adults now account for a larger percentage of people who drink regularly.

Conner: Well, how does drinking alcohol on a regular basis potentially impact the health specifically of older adults.

Dr. Overstreet: While older adults typically have more chronic medical conditions, and so therefore they're more likely to take prescription meds, alcohol can interact with prescription medications and can even cause oversedation. Alcohol can affect your liver, as we all know, but it can affect other organs as well. Regular alcohol use can worsen high blood pressure. It can contribute to heart conditions like atrial fibrillation, which is more common in older adults. And, alcohol can also negatively impact cognition, and chronic use can contribute to dementia.

Conner: Recently, a large research study from Great Britain was published stating that even light drinking was associated with an increase in cancer deaths among older adults. What's the significance of this study?

Dr. Overstreet: The study is really interesting because it looked at the association between alcohol use and mortality, also factoring health related and socioeconomic risk factors. The study looked at over 100,000 patients in the United Kingdom over 12 years. And, what they found is that even light drinking was associated with higher mortality from cancer, which was different than what researchers have found in earlier studies. Similar to earlier research, moderate drinking and heavy drinking was associated with a higher risk of death from all causes, including cancer. And, in the heavy drinking group, a higher mortality from all causes including cancer and heart disease.

Conner: Are there health guidelines in the US for older adults regarding how much alcohol is okay?

Dr. Overstreet: Yes. The current guidelines state that all older adults should have one or fewer drinks per day. This recent research indicates that we should all aim for even less. 1 to 2 drinks per week seems to be safer in terms of cancer risk. And, I recommend to my patients that they minimize their alcohol use, especially if they have other chronic medical conditions. If patients are concerned about their ability to quit drinking, there are medications that can help with that.

Conner: Doctor Overstreet, thanks for this update about alcohol use in older adults.

Dr. Overstreet: You're welcome.

Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.

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