Older But Not Wiser: At-Risk Drinking by Older Adults

More than a third of older adults who drink may be at risk of alcohol-related health complications, including higher mortality.

We usually think of golfing, traveling, and visiting the grandkids as popular pastimes for adults in their “golden years.” We might not put drinking at the top of that list, but about one-half of men and about one-third of women over the age of 60 in the United States are drinkers. A new study shows that many of these older drinkers are putting themselves at risk.

Researchers at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles analyzed the drinking habits of more than 3,300 current drinkers ages 60 and older in Santa Barbara, CA. According to the study, published in the April 2010 online edition of the Journal of General Internal Medicine, about 35 percent of this group drank enough to be considered “at-risk” on the basis of the Comorbidity Alcohol Risk Evaluation Tool (CARET).

The CARET screening tool identifies older adults at risk for harm from alcohol consumption on the basis of three categories: (1) alcohol behavior; (2) alcohol use and select comorbidities, or additional medical conditions; and (3) alcohol use combined with certain medications.

The study defined at-risk drinking levels as drinking twice a day most days, drinking once or twice a day most days and having certain comorbidities, or drinking once a day most days and taking certain medications. About 21 to 22 percent of the group analyzed fell into one of these risk categories. About 56 percent fell into at least two of these categories, and about 31 percent fell into all three categories.

The study also examined the demographic characteristics of at-risk older drinkers. Women were about half as likely as men to be at-risk drinkers. Participants without high school degrees were about two and a half times more likely to be at-risk drinkers than those with a graduate school degree.

The study brings to light the prevalence of at-risk drinking in older adults. As doctors better understand how common these behaviors are, they can offer patients more effective advice and treatment recommendations.

The article abstract can be found here:
Prevalence and Correlates of At-Risk Drinking Among Older Adults: The Project SHARE Study.