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The wine goes better (for you) with age: one drink per night is good for the elderly – but not for the others
- Alcohol consumption has been found to offset the effects of some age-related diseases, including coronary heart disease, diabetes and dementia.
- The researchers found that 60% of the potential years of life lost were in the 20- to 49-year-old age group, while about 15% of the lost years were in people over 65 years of age.
- In addition, 80% of deaths averted by alcohol involved elderly people
Mary Kekatos Health Journalist for Dailymail.com
A glass of wine a day can be good for you – if you are over 50, according to a new study.
The researchers discovered a drink here and there that worked wonders to compensate for age-related diseases that appear in middle age – including coronary heart disease, dementia, diabetes, stroke and osteoporosis.
In fact, alcohol avoids about 1,500 deaths a year – and the Boston Medical Center team in Massachusetts found that 80% of them were adults aged 65 and over.
This is despite the way we are told to avoid alcohol because of its adverse effects, including breast cancer, pancreatitis and liver disease.
A new Boston Medical Center study reveals that 60% of potential years of life lost are in the 20- to 49-year-old age group, while about 15% of lost years are in people over 65 (image file)
"Until about 10 years ago, it was believed that alcohol was good for you," Dr. Naimi told DailyMail.com.
"It's not that alcohol can not be appreciated. It's one thing to say that and another to pretend that it's good for your health.
He went on to explain that the American population starts drinking as early as the age of 20, but many studies on alcohol consumption do not recruit people until they reach the age of 50 years.
The main problem is that 40% of alcohol deaths occur before the age of 50.
This stems from a number of problems, including gastritis, breast cancer, liver cancer, hypertension and prostate cancer.
"This shows that people who live up to the age of 50 and are currently drinking are" survivors "- if you will – of their alcohol consumption," said Dr. Naimi.
"They may have been healthier or have safer consumer habits. They are not an appropriate group to compare to non-drinkers.
For the current study, the team reviewed the impact application data for alcohol-related diseases.
Led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the database estimates deaths and potentially life-threatening years of life related to alcohol between 2006 and 2010 in the United States.
The researchers found that age was an important factor in alcohol-related deaths, including liver disease, stroke, and pancreatitis.
About 36% of alcohol-related deaths occurred in people aged 20 to 49 years.
But in deaths that were avoided by consuming alcohol in this age group, it was only 4.5%.
Among people aged 65 and over, 35% of deaths were due to alcohol.
But there was a huge spike in alcohol-preventable deaths among seniors at 80%.
Dr. Naimi explained that this was due to the beneficial effects of alcohol, especially for cardiovascular diseases and cholelithiases, also known as gallstones.
Previous studies have shown that drinking small amounts of alcohol lowers cholesterol levels in the bile, reducing the risk of gallstone formation.
During the years of life lost, about 60% – the highest number – were in the 20 to 49 age group.
In people over 65, about 15% of the years were lost.
Dr. Naimi said the results show that young people "are more likely to die from alcohol consumption than to die from lack of drink".
However, older people are more likely to see the health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption.
According to the Mayo Clinic, moderate drinking does not mean more than one drink a day for women and men over 65 years old.
That's about 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine and 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits.
The benefits can include a reduction in heart risk, or even the risk of stroke and diabetes.
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