Alcohol's impact grows as we age, doctors say

A 50-year-old man drinks a few beers at his college reunion, maybe takes a shot or two. Later, he's feeling sick — perhaps worse than he'd ever felt in college, when he was pounding back far more drinks regularly. So why can't he handle his alcohol as well anymore?
For a variety of reasons, local experts say, including a liver that may function more slowly now, a greater likelihood of taking medications and a decreased tolerance due to lifestyle changes. Indeed, as people get older, they may become more sensitive to alcohol's effects, the National Institute on Aging warns.

"The same amount of alcohol can have a greater effect on an older person than on someone who is younger," the institute's website says. "Over time, someone whose drinking habits haven't changed may find she or he has a problem."
Dr. Ohan Karatoprak, wellness director and department director of family medicine at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, said liver function slows down as we age. When the liver is not detoxifying alcohol properly, drinkers will start to feel alcohol's effects more quickly, which can more easily lead to hangovers later.
"Nothing in the body works as well as it used to," noted Dr. Stephen Brunnquell, president of the medical staff and section chief of general internal medicine for Englewood Hospital and Medical Center. Your liver could be functioning normally, he said, but it will just work more slowly than when you were younger.
"If you're doing two scotches when you're 70, it's probably the equivalent of doing four scotches when you're 40," Brunnquell said.
Still, there's no specific age when the liver starts slowing down, Karatoprak said. "Not every 60-year-old is the same," he said.
Alcohol also has a sedative effect on the brain, Karatoprak said, that can leave drinkers tired and can mess up their sleep. For seniors, who are more prone to have sleep problems, less shut-eye can be even more problematic.
A 2009 University of Florida study found that while people 50 or older metabolized alcohol similarly to younger people, they performed worse on special tests after having moderate amounts of alcohol and did not always realize when they were impaired. After drinking, the older adults took on average five seconds longer to complete a test than those who did not have a drink, the study found. The authors' study pointed out that while five seconds may seem inconsequential, behind a wheel it can mean the difference between life and death.
Karatoprak said there's no way to tell how your drinking habits may be affecting your health before severe conditions like cirrhosis, cardiomyopathy and neuropathy set in.
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