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ALSO ...
If you look at overall morbidity (do seniors who drink have more
health problems), and overall mortality (do they die earlier of
something), the picture is quite different.
Seniors
tend to be sicker, and they tend to die sooner, even if they are
only drinking what younger people might consider as relatively
moderate amounts of alcohol. Seniors may not die of heart disease,
but they do die of something else related to alcohol consumption.
Part
of the problem is that our bodies become less able to get rid
of the toxic effects of alcohol as we age - alcohol stays in the
body longer. Potential adverse medication - alcohol interactions
create other problems.
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REDUCING THE RISK
You
can reduce the risk of heart disease significantly by other means
than moderate alcohol consumption. For example:
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Not
starting or by giving up smoking has a greater effect on lowering
the risk of coronary heart disease than moderate drinking.
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Regular
exercise reduces the risk, as does eating a low-fat diet.
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The
alcohol-related benefits seem to come from flavanoids/antioxidants.
A number of foods provide these. |
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CONNECTIONS BETWEEN ALCOHOL
AND SENIORS' HEALTH
As
part of the National Health Research Development Program research,
we looked at the health profiles of 463 seniors who had been referred
to SWAP's substance misuse / abuse counseling outreach program in
the previous five years. We compared these profiles to a large-scale
study called the Health and Activity Limitations Survey (in research
lingo, known as "the HALS"), which examines 'normal aging' among
seniors, and a sample of people aged 55+ in the 1994-95 National
Population Health Survey.
The average age of SWAP'S clients was 70.
They represent all economic and social classes of seniors. One-third
developed the alcohol or other abuse problem later in life.
A significant proportion of the referrals to SWAP come from the
hospital, chemical dependency resource team, or long-term care.
The findings were pretty striking:
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Only
3% of the seniors were considered "healthy". |
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14%
of the clents had fractures. |
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15%
(1 in 7) experienced numerous falls. |
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1
in 5 was suffering from depression. |
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11%
had cancer (2 1/2 times the rate in the general senior population).
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1
in 7 had a heart condition; 1 in 12 has a severe heart condition. |
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1
in 8 had a liver condition. |
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Over
one-quarter (28%) had short-term memory problems. |
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Well
over half the people referred had three or more significant
heath problems. |
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One
of the other things we noticed in this study was that if a
certain problem was common among seniors - generally at age
75 and over - it was common at an even earlier age among seniors
who had alcohol problems. |
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A
number of these health problems can make it very difficult
for older adults to benefit from existing treatment approaches.
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WHAT THE
FINDINGS MEAN
The
findings demonstrate the complex issues these seniors are facing,
and the challenges facing those trying to help them.
The
person who has an alcohol problem and health problems at the same
time has special needs that must be taken into account.
It is important to recognize that alcohol does not necessarily
cause these health problems in seniors.
In some cases, the health problem was there already. Some seniors
turn to alcohol as a way of dealing with the impairment, disability
or declining health (or the increasing isolation that often comes
with it).
It is also important to realize that if the person is able to
get help for the alcohol problem, all the health problems will
not magically go away.
With chronic pain, for example, take away alcohol and the pain
is still going to be there.
