In recognition of Alcohol Awareness Month, Rowan Regional Medical Center (RRMC) has compiled the information and support you’ll need to make certain that you do not over-indulge. Many older adults enjoy a glass of wine with dinner or a beer while watching the game on TV. Having a drink now and then is fine—as long as you don’t overdo it. When you’re older, your body and mind have a different relationship with alcohol than they used to.
People become more sensitive to alcohol’s effects as they age, according to the National Institute on Aging. After age 65, your lean body mass and water content decrease. In addition, your metabolism slows down. When you drink alcohol, these factors combine to make alcohol stay in your system longer, so the amount of alcohol in your blood is higher than it was when you were younger and drank the same amount. So you feel the effects faster.
Older adults also are more likely to have hearing and vision problems and slower reaction times. This puts them at higher risk for falls, fractures, and automobile accidents tied to drinking.”
David DiLoreto, MD, a board-certified physician at Rowan Family Physicians South says,
“Certain conditions common among people older than age 65, and the medications used to treat them, can worsen with alcohol’s effects. These include diabetes, high blood pressure, and ulcers. Heavy alcohol use can lead to other health problems:
•    Cancer
•    Chronic pancreatitis
•    Cirrhosis of the liver
•    Heart failure
•    High cholesterol
•    Osteoporosis
•    Stroke
Alcohol is also linked to mental health problems such as depression and suicide.”
An important reason to stay away from alcohol may be in your medicine cabinet. Older adults are more likely to have serious interactions between alcohol and drugs, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). DiLoreto said, “Many prescribed and over-the-counter medications and herbal products can interact negatively with alcohol.” Many older adults take at least two medications a day. Medications and alcohol can interact even if they’re not taken at the same time. That’s because the drug may still be in your blood when you have a drink.
The NIAAA recommends that people older than 65 who are healthy have no more than seven drinks a week and no more than three drinks on any one day. One drink is 12 ounces of beer, ale, or wine cooler; eight ounces of malt liquor; five ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled liquor.
If you want to limit your drinking, Dr. DiLoreto recommends trying these steps from the National Institutes of Health:
1. Write down your reasons for cutting back. These might include wanting to improve your health or sleep better. Other reasons may be to maintain your independence or preserve family relations.
2. Track your drinking habits for at least one week. Write down when and how much you drink every day.
3. Set a drinking goal. You may decide to cut down to one drink a day or to not drink at all. Write your goal on a piece of paper and put it where you will see it every day.

Rowan Regional Medical Center has a team of designated staff to provide people with an addiction to alcohol the help and support that they need.
For more information on alcohol awareness contact Rowan Family Physicians South at 704-855-8338.