I’ll drink to that: alcohol boosts life quality for females over 60

OLDER women who enjoy a regular tipple have a better quality of life, research suggests.

The study of 628 patients undergoing elective surgery found that women who drink at least twice a week were happier than those who had little or no alcohol.

It looked at quality of life of patients aged 60 and over before and after surgery, checking for mobility, anxiety and depression, and levels of comfort.

Pre-surgery alcohol habits made little difference to men, but drinkers had better quality of life than the abstinent as they recovered from operations.

Women who were regular drinkers had a higher quality of life both before and after surgery. The study compared those whose consumption hit a threshold classed as “medium to potentially hazardous” with those who were teetotal, or drank rarely.

The threshold for heavier drinking was reached if women were drinking alcohol at least two to three times a week, or if men were drinking four times a week.

Researchers said alcohol might help to reduce stress and elevate mood. However, other differences were seen between the groups, which may also have contributed to their quality of life.

Those who drank more tended to have higher education levels, and be slimmer. Those who rarely or never drank alcohol weighed significantly more than the regular drinkers, with a difference of nine pounds among women.

The study, by Vera Guttenthaler and Dr Maria Wittmann from the University Hospital Bonn in Germany, is being presented at this year’s Euroanaesthesia Congress in Milan.

Ms Guttenthaler said: “Older patients with potentially unhealthy alcohol intake report that some aspects of their quality of life are better compared to those who abstain from alcohol or drink at very low levels.

“One explanation may be that higher alcohol consumption may lead to elevated mood, enhanced sociability and reduced stress.”

However, Dr Tony Rao, a visiting clinical research fellow at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience said the conclusions appeared “flawed”. He said the study did not consider that quality of life might be higher in those who drank more alcohol because they were generally healthier, able to socialise and able to drink at these levels without consequent harmful effects on health and wellbeing.

And he said even low-risk drinkers may be those “sick quitters” who gave up alcohol because of health problems.

‘Higher consumption may lead to elevated mood, enhanced sociability and reduced stress’