How drink catches up with over-60s

MORE than half of older people have drunk heavily in their lifetime putting themselves at risk of middle-aged spread, a study suggests.

Researchers led by University College London surveyed more than 4,800 British civil servants aged 59 to 83 on how much they drank, and how often, for every decade of their life.

This helped them identify the heavy drinkers who, for example, might have three or four drinks in one sitting, and do this four or more times a week.

They found 56 per cent had done this at some point in their life, although this did not include non-drinkers.

People who over-indulged in alcohol over a lifetime had a waistline 1.5ins (3.85cm) larger when they were older, researchers found.

Those who took up drinking too much in middle-age had a waistline almost an inch (2.4cm) larger than people who had never drunk heavily at all.

Dr Linda Ng Fat, of UCL, said: ‘People who are trying to manage their weight might want to cut down on heavy alcohol consumption, as our study found it can contribute to their waistlines. The important concern about this is that a larger waistline increases someone’s risk of diabetes and heart disease.

‘This study raises awareness of the effect of alcohol consumption over someone’s lifetime.’ The study, published in the journal Addiction, looked at civil servants who participated in health checks and answered questions on their lifestyle, and whose information has been used in several studies.

Researchers found 56 per cent had been hazardous drinkers at some point in their life – of whom just over one in five were currently heavy drinkers and one in 20 had drunk this much in every decade of their life. It follows figures showing that alcohol-related admissions in England are highest for those aged 55 to 74, with experts frequently warning about middle-class, middle-aged binge drinkers and their wine consumption.

Those in the study who drank heavily over a lifetime, who were mainly male and more professionally successful, tended to have higher blood pressure, poorer liver function and greater risk of a stroke than those who had never drunk hazardously.

Even those who stopped drinking hazardously before the age of 50 had a waist circumference 1.17cm, or almost half an inch larger than those who had never drunk heavily. Those who gave up the behaviour aged 50 or older had a waistline which was three-quarters of an inch (1.88cm) larger.

Professor Annie Britton, of UCL, said: ‘Despite high prevalence of stroke and liver disease steadily increasing in the UK, heavy drinking remains common among older adults. Early intervention and screening for alcohol consumption, as part of regular check-ups, could help reduce hazardous drinking.’