Alcohol and the Elderly

A longitudinal study of drinking and cognitive performance in elderly Japanese American men: the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study

“…14,33 The consumption of alcohol is common among older people living in the United States. 34,35 In the present study, we found moderate consumption of alcohol in middle age to be associated with good subsequent cognitive performance among these Japanese American men. While these results may add to the growing body of evidence supporting health benefits of moderate alcohol intake, we advise caution in recommending moderate consumption of alcohol for all elderly persons.…”

Indicators of problem drinking in the slovenian elderly: a qualitative analysis

“…Tako zdravstveno osebje pogosto ne spozna, da je škodljivo pitje alkohola, ki je močno povezano s funkcionalnimi motnjami starostnika ter se lahko vpleta v delovanje predpisanih zdravil, pomemben vzrok obolevnosti in umrljivosti (10). Ključnega pomena je zato odkrivanje tveganega in škodljivega pitja alkohola pri starostnikih, prepoznavanje dejavnikov tveganja in zdravljenje (11,12,13). Zdravnik družinske medicine se v ambulanti vsak dan sreča s približno pet do deset bolniki, ki pijejo tvegano ali škodljivo, vendar pa mnogi ostanejo neodkriti (14) zaradi ovir, kot so: strah pred bolnikovim odzivom ali stigmatizacijo, slabo poznavanje definicije tveganega pitja, dvom v učinkovitost svetovanja, dvom v odkritosrčnost bolnikov ter pomanjkanje časa (15).…”

Evidence Regarding the Level of Alcohol Consumption Considered to be Low-Risk for Men and Women

“…It should also be taken into consideration that elderly often take regular medication, which may interact with alcohol. Consequently, the definition of moderate drinking needs to be revised downward for older individuals (Dufour et al, 1992;Dufour and Fuller, 1995; National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 1998).…”