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Medically Reviewed by Smitha Bhandari, MD on February 02, 2021

A Bad Mix

Alcohol is linked to age in lots of ways. You have to be old enough to drink it legally, and once you are, it can age you faster than normal. Heavy drinking can have a direct effect on certain parts of your body and on your mental health as you get older. And it can have some unhealthy indirect effects, as well.

It Can Dehydrate You

As you get older, you have less water in your body and -- for reasons that aren’t quite clear --you also feel thirsty less often. That makes seniors more likely to be dehydrated. Drinking alcohol can pull more water out of your body and make your chances of dehydration even higher.

It Can Dry Your Skin

Our skin gets thinner and drier as we age. It’s a natural process called intrinsic aging, and it’s something you can’t control. Extrinsic aging is when your skin ages faster than it should because of your environment and how you live. That’s where alcohol comes in -- it dehydrates you and dries out your skin. You can slow that down by drinking less.

It Can Make Vital Organs Weaker

Alcohol can affect the way some vital organs work and make them age faster. While heavy drinkers are more likely to have cirrhosis (permanent damage to your liver), even moderate drinking can lead to problems like fatty liver disease. It also can make it harder for your kidneys to do their thing.

It Can Slow Your Brain

Every alcoholic drink goes “straight to your head,” or at least to your brain. Heavy drinking over a long time can shrink brain cells and lead to alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD) and certain types of dementia. Symptoms of that include lack of judgment, organization, or emotional control, trouble staying focused, and anger issues.

It Can Weaken Your Immune System

Alcohol can affect the way your body fights off life-threatening illnesses like tuberculosis or pneumonia. This can be especially serious for older people. Researchers are also studying the possibility that alcoholic liver disease might be caused, at least in part, by your immune system attacking healthy body tissues.

It Can Affect Your Heart

Red wine has antioxidants called polyphenols that may help your cholesterol level and protect your blood vessels. If you drink it in moderation (about one glass a day), some studies show that it might be good for your heart. But too much can lead to an abnormal heartbeat and high blood pressure. So if you don’t drink, this isn’t a good reason to start.

It Hits You Faster

People who drink may notice that they’re “feeling no pain” sooner as they get older. That’s mainly because our bodies gain fat and lose muscle in our senior years and it takes longer for us to break down alcohol and get it out of our system. It also can make hangovers last longer.

It Can Complicate Things

Alcohol may not only make you more likely to get sick as you age, it also can make common medical problems worse. Studies show that heavy drinkers can have a harder time with things like osteoporosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, ulcers, memory loss, and certain mood disorders.

It Can Change How Your Meds Work

The older you get, the longer alcohol stays in your system. So it’s more likely to be there when you take medicine.  And alcohol can affect the way your meds work. It can also lead to serious side effects.

For example, drinking alcohol when you take aspirin can raise your chances of stomach problems or internal bleeding. Mixing it with certain sleeping pills, pain medications, or anxiety drugs can be life-threatening.

It Can Make You More Likely to Fall

Broken bones from a stumble are a serious health issue for seniors. Heavy drinking can make them even more likely. It’s because alcohol can affect your balance and sense of judgment. Over time, it also can damage the cerebellum, the area in your brain that handles balance and coordination.

It Can Keep You Up at Night

The idea of having a drink to relax before bedtime may not be a good one, especially as you get older. Instead of lulling you into a restful night, alcohol can actually keep you from getting to sleep and lead to restless slumber. That can be particularly hard on seniors, who are already more likely to wake up often or have a sleep disorder like insomnia.

You Can Drink, But ...

As with most things, moderation is key. People older than 65 who don’t take any medications should average no more than one drink a day (seven per week) and have no more than three at one sitting. (A drink is one 12-ounce can or bottle of beer, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or one 1.5-ounce shot of an 80-proof or less liquor.) Talk with your doctor to find out what’s right for you.

Summery:

Alcohol consumption is one of the leading contributors to the global burden of disease and to high healthcare and economic costs. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is one of the most prevalent mental health conditions worldwide, with harmful effects on physical, cognitive, and social functioning. Chronic excessive alcohol consumption is associated with direct and indirect adverse effects, including (but not limited to) cardiovascular diseases, nutritional deficiency, cancers, and accelerated aging.

史密斯娅·班达里医学博士审阅 2021年2月2日

糟糕的组合

酒精在很多方面与年龄有关。你必须到了合法饮酒的年龄，一旦到了法定年龄，你的衰老速度就会比正常人更快。随着年龄的增长，酗酒会对身体的某些部位和心理健康产生直接影响。它也会产生一些不健康的间接影响。

它会让你脱水

随着年龄的增长，你体内的水分会减少，而且由于一些不太清楚的原因，你也不会经常感到口渴。这使得老年人更容易脱水。饮酒会使你的身体排出更多水分，使你脱水的几率更高。

它会使你的皮肤干燥

随着年龄的增长，我们的皮肤变得更薄、更干燥。这是一个叫做内在衰老的自然过程，是你无法控制的。外在衰老是指由于你的环境和生活方式，你的皮肤比应该的衰老速度更快。这就是酒精的作用——它使你脱水，使你的皮肤干燥。你可以通过少喝酒来减缓这种情况。

它会使重要器官变弱

酒精会影响一些重要器官的工作方式，使它们衰老得更快。酗酒者更容易患肝硬化（对肝脏造成永久性损害），但即使是适度饮酒也可能导致脂肪肝等问题。这也会让你的肾脏更难发挥作用。

它会直接损伤大脑

每一种酒精饮料都会“直接进入你的大脑”，或者说一定会进入你的大脑。长期酗酒会导致脑细胞萎缩，并导致酒精相关脑损伤（ARBD）和某些类型的痴呆症。这些症状包括缺乏判断力、组织能力或情绪控制、难以集中注意力和愤怒问题。

它会削弱你的免疫系统

酒精会影响你的身体对抗肺结核或肺炎等威胁生命的疾病的方式。这对老年人来说尤其严重。研究人员正在研究酒精性肝病可能是由于免疫系统攻击身体的某些健康组织引起的，至少部分是这样。

它会影响你的心脏

红酒中含有一种名为多酚的抗氧化剂，可以帮助降低胆固醇水平，保护血管。如果你适量饮用（大约每天一杯），一些研究表明它可能对你的心脏有好处。但过量会导致心跳异常和高血压。如果你不喝酒，降低胆固醇这点益处不是开始饮酒的理由。

它击中你的速度更快

喝酒的人可能会注意到，随着年龄的增长，他们“感觉不到疼痛”。这主要是因为我们在高龄时体内的脂肪量会增加并失去肌肉，我们将需要更长的时间来分解酒精并将其排出体内。它还可以使宿醉持续更长时间。

这会使事情复杂化

随着年龄的增长，酒精不仅会让你更容易生病，还会让常见的医疗问题变得更糟。研究表明，酗酒者患有骨质疏松症、糖尿病、高血压、中风、溃疡、记忆力减退和某些情绪障碍等疾病时，日子会更难过。

它可以改变你所用药物的功能

年龄越大，酒精在体内停留的时间就越长。所以当你吃药的时候，它更可能仍在那里。酒精会影响药物的作用方式。它还可能导致严重的副作用。 例如，服用阿司匹林时饮酒会增加胃部问题或内出血的几率。与某些安眠药、止痛药或焦虑药混合使用可能会危及生命。

它会让你更容易摔倒

摔倒骨折对老年人来说是一个严重的健康问题。酗酒会让他们更容易患上抑郁症，因为酒精会影响你的平衡和判断力。随着时间的推移，它还会损害大脑中负责平衡和协调的小脑。

它能让你夜里难以入睡

睡前喝一杯使身心放松的想法可能不是一个好主意，尤其是随着年龄的增长。酒精并不会让你进入一个宁静的夜晚，反而会让你无法入睡，导致焦躁不安的睡眠状态。这给老年人造成更大困扰，他们可能已经有经常醒来或失眠等睡眠障碍。

你可以喝酒，但是 .....

和大多数事情一样，适度是关键。65岁以上不服用任何药物的人平均每天不应超过一杯（每周七杯），一次不应超过三杯。（“喝一杯”是指一罐12盎司的啤酒或一瓶啤酒，一杯5盎司的葡萄酒，或一杯1.5盎司的80度或以下烈性酒）。和你的医生谈谈，看看什么对你合适。

总结：

酒精消费是造成全球疾病负担、高额医疗和经济成本的主要因素之一。酒精使用障碍（AUD）是世界范围内最普遍的精神健康状况之一，对身体、认知和社会功能都有害影响。长期过量饮酒直接和间接地与一些常见疾病有关，包括（但不限于）心血管疾病、营养缺乏、癌症和加速衰老。

请大家一起呼吁：祖国文明建设应从央视和国营媒体带头禁刊酒类广告做起。酒，从精神到肉体已经伤害了无数国人！
-《海外南开人网》敬启

Alcohol and Aging 酒精与衰老（英/中）

How Alcohol Affects Your Body 酒精如何伤害你的身体 （英/中）

喝酒致癌原理