It’s time to put down your highball and take a look at some of the most recent data regarding alcohol consumption and the health risks it poses to your physical and cognitive health. While we’ve previously shared the ongoing research about how alcohol can affect your health and well-being, there continue to be newly reported studies that may inform your own behavior. If you’ve cut back on your alcohol consumption or stopped drinking altogether, you’re part of a trend. According to a recent Gallup survey, 54 % of US adults say they drink alcoholic beverages, which is a record low number for this survey. Moreover, the word seems to be getting out about the health hazards that alcohol can pose, as 53% of adults now say that even moderate drinking is harmful to their health, which is up from just 28% in 2015. While much of the downturn in drinking is attributable to younger adults, it appears that older adults are getting the message. In 2015, only about 20% of adults 55+ believed alcohol was harmful to their health. That number is now close to 50%. And as alcohol consumption has dropped, the consumption of non-alcoholic beverages has gone up significantly. The Wall Street Journal recently profiled that movement toward “New Sobriety,” calling it loud, bold, and stigma-free. 

For older adults in particular, alcohol poses potentially serious consequences for virtually every organ in your body, from your heart, muscles, digestive system, and blood vessels, to even your brain. Just one drink can cause problems, as blood alcohol concentration in older adults can be more intense than in younger drinkers, and alcohol can cause problems with the medications you take or the chronic diseases that afflict you. Moreover, a new study has been published, further underscoring the connection between alcohol and the risk of dementia. This new study of over ½ million adults, aged 56-72, and published in BMJ- Evidence-Based Medicine, cleared up any misconceptions that moderate drinking might offer a protective effect from dementia. Instead, what this study demonstrated was that dementia risk rises with greater alcohol consumption, and even light drinking can raise your risk. As one expert stated, “The study demonstrates a likely causal relationship between alcohol and increased dementia risk at all levels of intake.” For more on this study, close the liquor cabinet and click here.

Beyond dementia, we have mounting evidence of the causal link between alcohol and cancer. As we previously noted, the direct connection between cancer and alcohol consumption is no longer in dispute. Evidence continues to mount about a connection between alcohol and a wider range of cancers than was originally thought. For example, recent studies have described a connection between alcohol consumption and pancreatic cancer, which was not suggested as one of the original cancer-alcohol links. And more evidence is mounting about the connection between alcohol and a range of gastric cancers.

With the continuing discovery of the negative health effects of alcohol consumption on physical and cognitive health, it’s critical to get the message out to all who may be affected. While trends show declining alcohol consumption, about 50% of adults still consume alcohol, and only about 50% of older adults understand that even moderate alcohol drinking can be harmful. During the previous presidential administration, independent researchers were funded to take a sober look at the data regarding the health risks of alcohol, so that accurate, objective, and up-to-date scientific information could inform new dietary guidelines that are now under development. However, the current administration has decided not to publish the final report, which outlined serious concerns about alcohol consumption, and has instead determined that the new dietary guidelines will not address limiting the use of alcohol as part of a recommended diet. While the findings of this independent study will be separately published by the researchers, it’s hard to understand why the federal government would not want to help get the word out about the harms that alcohol may pose. For more on this quandary, click here.