Health impact of alcohol consumption at different ages
After analyzing the health implications of alcohol consumption in various age groups, a recent study concluded that adults in the age group of 50 years and older may experience less serious health consequences compared to adults below of the same age group. The goal of the study was neither to justify nor glorify drinking, but to study the impact of drinking at various ages. The fact remains that people who drink excessively are susceptible to a variety of serious short-term and long-term health problems.
Some of the common health problems related to excessive alcohol use include liver and heart disease, cancers, and damage to the nervous system and brain. From time to time, various health and wellness articles have highlighted the fact that if a person drinks in moderation, it can have certain health benefits. To substantiate this fact, several studies have suggested that drinking alcohol within a medically permissible limit can have a positive impact on an individual’s health. For example, one of the studies found that moderate to light drinking can reduce the death rate from cardiovascular disease.
Having said that, while these studies have been widely read and well received by people, not all researchers support them and the debate is still going on about it.
a new perspective
Dr. Timothy Naimi of the Boston Medical Center in Massachusetts conducted this study, adding fuel to the ongoing debate about the health impacts of alcohol consumption. Dr. Naimi and his group of researchers looked at the methodology that was used in the earlier studies and found that the way earlier researchers measured the impact of alcohol on health may be flawed. The researchers highlighted the fact that previous studies were based more on general observations and generally recruited participants older than 50 years. In general, deaths attributed to alcohol consumption occurred within the age group of 20 to 49 years. Simply put, “you can’t include dead people in a cohort study,” said Dr. Niami.
The team highlighted that about 40 percent of alcohol-related deaths occurred before the age of 50. This made it quite obvious that previous researchers did not take these people into consideration and therefore may have underestimated the real risks associated with drinking alcohol. Incidentally, Dr. Naimi was one of the first researchers to raise concerns about this bias in terms of the age group of the participants, publishing his findings in the journal Addiction in 2017.
Therefore, Dr. Naimi reinvestigated the matter and reanalyzed the data using the Alcohol-Related Illness Impact Application (ARDIA) software, maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC). ARDIA is a trusted app that provides state and national estimates of alcohol-related health implications, including potential years of life lost (PYLLs) and deaths.
Influence of the age factor
According to the study, an individual’s level of alcohol-related risk was largely influenced by the factor of age. Analysis of the data revealed that about 35.8 percent of deaths caused by alcohol use occurred in the 20-49 age group. On the other hand, only 4.5 percent of the deaths were reported due to alcohol consumption in this age group.
However, when the researchers looked at people in the 65 and older age group, the statistics were slightly different. About 35 percent of alcohol-related deaths were recorded in this group, but they also accounted for a whopping 80 percent of alcohol-averted deaths.
However, as stated above, there is still an ongoing debate about the impact of alcohol consumption on various age groups.
Seeking help for alcoholism
Regardless of gender, age or social position, anyone can be affected by alcoholism. One of the stepping stones to effective recovery from alcohol addiction is detoxification. The detoxification process helps to purge all the toxins accumulated in the body due to years of alcohol consumption and prepares the body and mind for further treatment.