Alcohol May Offer Health Benefits for People Over 50

MASSACHUSETTS – In a recent study conducted by Dr. Timothy Niomi, at the Boston Medical Center in Massachusetts has found that drinking alcohol has a different effect on different age groups. It has been proved in various studies that alcohol badly affects the health of drinkers. It could lead to liver and heart-related problems. Also, it is said that drinking alcohol moderately on a daily basis may offer health benefits. But the recent study has raised questions over the earlier studies and released new findings on this subject.

The new study said that earlier studies were based on observational analysis and involved participants over the age of 50. This is completely an obstruction in estimating the actual impact of alcohol on health. According to the authors, almost 40 percent of deaths due to alcohol consumption occur less than the age of 50. And the earlier studies did not consider this fact and underlined the potential dangers of alcohol.

For further investigation on this subject, the authors also analyzed data from the Alcohol-Related Disease Impact Application which is handled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This application “provides national and state estimates of alcohol-related health impacts, including deaths and years of potential life lost,” confirmed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In the analysis, it was found that the alcohol drinkers between the age of 20-49 have a death rate of 35.8 percent. It is only 4.5 percent of people in this age group which got benefitted in preventing deaths due to alcohol prevention. On the other hand, it is possible to prevent death over the age of 65 years, study finds. About 35 percent of deaths occurred in this age group whereas about 80% of deaths were prevented in this age group.

Hence, the authors conclude that younger people are more likely to die from alcohol consumption than they are to die from a lack of drinking. However, older people are more likely to experience the health benefits of moderate drinking. Still, it is not conclusive research but it could be inferred that moderate drinking could offer health benefits but heavy drinking could lead to ill-effects.