One in 10 Older Adults Binge Drinks, Increasing Health Risks

A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found roughly one in 10 older adults binge drinks, elevating the risk of health problems, reports NBC News . Analysis of data on 10,927 people older than 65 who participated in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health between 2015 and 2017 found an estimated 10.6 percent of participants admitted to binge drinking within the previous 30 days. "A lot of patients don't realize that as they get older, their body becomes more sensitive to alcohol," says New York University Langone Health Professor Benjamin Han. Experts warn binge drinking can exacerbate chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes. "If you drink regularly and you are taking blood thinners, then there's going to be a risk of bleeding in your stomach," notes the Cleveland Clinic's Ronan Factora. "Binge drinking can also make your sugars go up, which can create problems for people with diabetes."