Medical News Today: Over 65? Careful With That Cocktail Or Glass of Wine

By  //  May 29, 2015

Medical News Today report

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EDITOR’S NOTE: The health benefits of including a moderate amount of alcohol in the diet have been vigorously debated, and previous research tends to favor light to moderate drinking as a protection against heart disease.

However, this Medical News Today report chronicles the findings of recent research that suggests that even moderate drinking may have a negative impact on heart health in people over 65.

— Dr. Jim Palermo, Editor-in-Chief

Moderate Drinking Linked To Heart Damage In The Elderly

MEDICAL NEWS TODAY — Elderly men who consume at least two alcoholic beverages daily may be damaging their heart, according to a new study, with elderly women at risk of heart damage with just one drink a day.

In the study, moderate alcohol consumption was linked to heart damage in elderly individuals, with women at highest risk.
In the study, moderate alcohol consumption was linked to heart damage in elderly individuals, with women at highest risk.

Published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging – a journal of the American Heart Association – the study also reveals that severity of heart damage increases alongside a rise in alcohol intake.

The research team, including senior author Dr. Scott Solomon, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of noninvasive cardiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital – both in Boston, MA – says their findings “reinforce” guidelines recommending that when people drink, they should do so in moderation.

CLICK HERE to read the complete story on MedicalNewsToday.com.