Acute Behavioral and Long-Term Health Effects of Moderate Alcohol Use in Older Adults

Abstract

This review addresses current literature regarding health consequences associated with of a lifestyle or pattern of moderate drinking and the neurobehavioral effects of moderate drinking episodes in older adults. Discussed studies include both large-scale epidemiological investigations of the effect of moderate alcohol use on multiple health-related domains (e.g., cancer and cardiovascular disease risk) in older adults and laboratory investigations of moderate alcohol’s acute neurobehavioral effects. Numerous studies provide evidence that a pattern of moderate drinking is associated with both potential health benefits and risks for older adults, including evidence for reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline but elevated risk for some cancers, including of the oral cavity, esophagus, and breast. Furthermore, laboratory administration studies indicate that older adults may be more susceptible to neurobehavioral alteration as a result of acute moderate alcohol intake than their younger counterparts. It is clear from the extant literature that even relatively low BACs resulting from the practice of a moderate drinking lifestyle are not without risk. This risk should be balanced against potential benefits at the level of the individual drinker. Additional studies regarding moderate drinking in older adults are needed to address limitations of the literature, including consideration of potential sex effects, inclusion of less rarified samples in acute studies, and the use of longitudinal, prospective designs.