SO OLD-FASHIONED –
July 3, 2025 – Alcohol affects “virtually every organ system in the body,” including the muscles and blood vessels, digestive system, heart and brain. I”t particularly impacts older adults, because there’s already some decline or impact in those areas.” said Sara Jo Nixon.
Alcohol can present new problems in older age — particularly at 65 and up — for even light or occasional drinkers. Older adults tend to have less muscle mass and retain less water in their tissues compared with younger people, which can increase blood alcohol concentration, said Aaron White, a senior advisor at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. This means it takes fewer drinks for older people to feel intoxicated, and heightens the risk of severe injury from falls.
