Binge drinking, defined as five or more drinks on the same occasion within the past 30 days, was reported by 14 percent of men and 3 percent of women age 65 or older, according to a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
These numbers raise significant safety concerns because the health risks of binge drinking increase as individuals age, and binge drinking is often missed by common screening methods, according to Dan G. Blazer, M.D., Ph.D., and Li-Tzy Wu, Sc.D., of Duke University, who analyzed data related to the drinking habits of middle-aged and elderly adults from the 2005 and 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
The authors found even higher rates of binge drinking in the 50-64 age group: 23 percent of men and 9 percent of women. Because binge drinking is not associated with psychological distress, it may be overlooked by health care providers.
