Thoughts from an active pensioner who is now somewhat past his Biblical "Use-by date"

"Why just be difficult, when with a little more effort you can be bloody impossible?"



Tuesday 28 June 2011

It's OK for Pensioners to Carry on Drinking

The recent report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists suggesting that us oldies should cut down on our alcohol consumption has been (politely) rubbished by the International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research, based at Boston University's Medical Center, which suggests that there is a strong case for us drinking more rather than less.
A blogged summery of the report can be read at The Register, or the formal version can be read  on the Boston University site.
Boston University points out that 
"Epidemiological studies have suggested that moderate alcohol consumption, may reduce the incidence of certain age-related neurological disorders including Alzheimer's disease."
and that
"Scientific data are consistent in demonstrating that quality of life is better and total mortality is lower among moderate drinkers than among abstainers."

The key point is in the conclusion
"For healthy moderate and responsible drinkers, advice to reduce or stop all alcoholic beverage intake would not be in the best health interests of such individuals."

But I did say previously that I didn't consider Psychiatrists to be real doctors!

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