Physical Effects of Alcohol

Alcohol slows down brain activity. Because alcohol affects alertness, judgment, coordination, and reaction time, drinking increases the risk of falls and accidents. Some research has shown that it takes less alcohol to affect older people than younger ones. Over time, heavy drinking permanently damages the brain and central nervous system, as well as the liver, heart, kidneys, and stomach. Alcohol's effects can make some medical problems hard to diagnose. For example, alcohol causes changes in the heart and blood vessels that can dull pain that might be a warning sign of a heart attack. It also can cause forgetfulness and confusion, which can seem like Alzheimer's disease.

Mixing Drugs
Alcohol, itself a drug, is often harmful when mixed with prescription or over-the-counter medicines. This is a special problem for people over 65, because they are often heavy users of prescription medicines and over-the-counter drugs. Mixing alcohol with other drugs such as tranquilizers, sleeping pills, pain killers, and antihistamines can be very dangerous, even fatal. For example, aspirin can cause bleeding in the stomach and intestines; when aspirin is combined with alcohol, the risk of bleeding is much higher. As people age, the body's ability to absorb and dispose of alcohol and other drugs changes. Anyone who drinks should check with a doctor or pharmacist about possible problems with drug and alcohol interactions.
Address: http://www.niapublications.org/agepages/alcohol.asp

Alcohol and aging, ALCOHOL ALERT (April, 1998), 40. Persons age 65 and older constitute the fastest growing segment of the American population. Although the extent of alcoholism among the elderly is debated, the diagnosis and treatment of alcohol problems are likely to become increasingly important as the elderly population grows. This Alcohol Alert reviews recent research on the extent of alcohol consumption and associated problems among the elderly, updating an earlier Alcohol Alert on this subject (1).
Address: http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa40.htm

Ganguli, M.; Vander Bilt, J.; Saxton, J. A.; Shen, C.; Dodge, H. H., "Alcohol consumption and cognitive function in late life: a longitudinal community study", NEUROLOGY (2005), 65: 1210-1217. In this study, covering 7 years, a pattern of mild-to-moderate drinking, compared to not drinking, was associated with lesser average decline in cognitive domains over the same period. There were approximately 1200 subjects 65 years or older in the study and the results were based on self reporting.

Gilbertson, R.; Ceballos, N. A.; Nixon, S. J. ;" Effects of acute alcohol consumption in older and younger adults: perceived impairment versus psychomotor performance", JOURNAL OF STUDIES ON ALCOHOL AND DRUGS (March, 2009), 70(2): 242-52. Perceived impairment and psychomotor performance following acute alcohol administration in older (ages 50-17, n=42, 22 male) and younger (ages 25-25, n=26, 12 male) adults were investigated. Results indicated that psychomotor performance differences did not parallel self-reported levels of perceived impairment. Relative to younger adults, older adults exhibited performance deficits on the ascending limb while simultaneously reporting less perceived impairment. Conversely, on the descending lim, older adults who received alcohol reported more perceived impairment than did those who received placebo, although psychomotor performance between these tow groups of older drinkers did not differ. For younger participants, a moderate dose of alcohol facilitated performance on the ascending limb; however, these differences were not reflected on the descending limb. Conclusions: these results reinforce the common knowledge that self-reported measures may not prove an accurate reflection of performance outcomes and, that older adults may be impaired even under a moderate dose of alcohol, although they may not be aware of this impairment.

updated 07/19/10