Harmful over-50s boozing 'middle class'

HARMFUL alcohol drinking among people aged 50 or over in England is a "middle class phenomenon", researchers have said.
A STUDY published in the online journal BMJ Open looked at drinking patterns of the over-50s, and found those who were classed as ageing "successfully" - in better health, with a higher income, higher educational attainment and socially more active - were more likely to drink at harmful levels.
"Harmful drinking may then be a hidden health and social problem in otherwise successful older people," the research paper added. It said alcohol consumption is growing among older people in England, with high risk drinking peaking when men are in their mid-60s. But higher risk drinking then falls with age, said Professor Jose Iparraguirre, who carried out the research for the charity Age UK. He found retirement and income were associated with a higher risk for women but not for men, while there were links with education and smoking in both sexes. Loneliness and depression were not associated, while women who had caring responsibilities had a reduced risk. The research analysed data relating to more than 9,000 men and women over 50 in England. They took part in the large-scale English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), which also found single, separated or divorced men showed a greater risk of harmful drinking. Harmful drinking was defined by the guidelines set out by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), which classes "increased risk drinking" as the consumption of 22-50 units a week in men or 15-35 units in women, and "higher risk drinking" as 50 plus units a week in men and 35 units or more in women.