Elderly people with drinking problems consume significantly more alcohol than their younger counterparts, new research finds.
Younger alcoholics typically consume between 25 and 35 drinks per week, according to a report from Ohio State University. But older alcoholics consume an average of 40 or more drinks per week. They are also more likely to drink heavily in one sitting, researchers found. In their national study of more than 43,000 adults, researchers discovered that older adults binge drink an average of 19 times per year, compared with 13-15 times per year for younger adults.
The psychological effects of aging can play a major role in problem drinking among the elderly, according to researchers. And while heavy drinking is typically associated with younger adults, it is an even bigger problem among older adults than originally thought, they say. The study was presented at the recent meeting of the Gerontological Society of America. Alcoholism in older adults can severely aggravate chronic conditions such as diabetes.
