Doctors warn that as we age, drinking alcohol can bring major health risks, including heart, liver problems and a higher risk of stroke. The body becomes more sensitive.
The dangers of alcohol consumption. Photo: Shutterstock
In 2022, people between the ages of 35 and 50 reported record levels of binge drinking. A recent study found that the largest increase in heavy drinking between 2018 and 2022 occurred among people in their 40s, according to the New York Times. Doctors are increasingly concerned about the increase in alcohol consumption among middle-aged women, as more of them develop alcohol-related liver and cardiovascular diseases.
The researchers aren’t entirely sure why alcohol consumption is increasing among middle-aged people, but they pointed out that adults in this age group face pressures of caring for both children and elderly parents, greater demands at work and ‘historic’ levels of loneliness.
This trend is worrying: middle age is already the time when health effects caused by decades of alcohol consumption, such as cancer or cardiovascular and liver diseases, start to take their toll. In addition, drinking alcohol becomes more dangerous during this period of life, as the body becomes less able to process alcohol, and many develop chronic diseases that can be made worse by alcohol.
“I don’t like to be alarmist. But I think at this point it’s pretty alarming,” said Katherine Keyes, professor of epidemiology at Columbia University.
Effects of alcohol consumption in middle age
A night of heavy drinking is much more risky at 55 than at 25, for a few reasons. Alcohol can worsen health problems specific to middle age, such as problems with blood sugar or high blood pressure. Even a drink or two can temporarily increase your heart rate, for example, increasing the risk of a heart attack or heart failure. These effects are of particular concern to those who already have pre-existing cardiovascular disease.
Medications commonly used by middle-aged people, such as anticoagulants, can interact with even small amounts of alcohol, causing serious complications such as internal bleeding.
As we age, our bodies process alcohol less efficiently and tolerance decreases. The liver makes a greater effort to metabolize a martini or a manhattan. The natural loss of muscle mass that begins around the age of 30 can make some people more sensitive to the effects of alcohol. All this means that alcohol can stay in the blood for longer, which can lead to a higher concentration of alcohol in the blood and can cause the person to become intoxicated more quickly. This can lead to falls and other injuries, explained Johannes Thrul, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
“If you’re younger, your body can recover more easily and faster,” said Dr. Thru. “But as you get older, it becomes harder.”
In general, the longer the alcohol stays in a person’s system, the more severe the hangover. The morning after a night of drinking can be especially hard to bear in middle age because alcohol interferes with sleep, which is already of lower quality as we age.
“A few cocktails can make you feel great for 15 minutes, maybe a little longer, and feel absolutely terrible the whole day after,” said Timothy Stockwell, a researcher at the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research.
Alcohol and health
Drinking alcohol in midlife can also affect long-term health. Emerging research suggests that heavy drinking during this period may increase the risk of cognitive impairment later in life, possibly because alcohol can damage brain cells. The Surgeon General (Minister of Health) recently stated that alcohol directly contributes to the risk of cancer and called for the labeling of alcoholic beverages with warnings.
Reducing alcohol consumption can significantly reduce the risk of developing or worsening alcohol-related chronic diseases, said Dr. Stockwell. Drinking less alcohol can lower blood pressure and blood sugar and, in some cases, help with weight loss. Even if someone has consumed a lot of alcohol over the years, the liver can partially recover and regenerate cells if drinking is stopped. Cutting back on alcohol can also help with recovery from conditions such as alcoholic cardiomyopathy, which occurs when long-term heavy drinking damages the heart.
