On May 9, 2022, APA cosponsored a Friends of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) webinaropens in new window, moderated by Bob Huebner, PhD, that highlighted key issues related to alcohol use and healthy aging.
Speakers presented a range of data about how aging and alcohol interact. NIAAA Director George Koob, PhD, introduced the topic and discussed key findings; notably, that the percentage of people 65+ who consume alcohol, binge drink, and have alcohol use disorder (AUD) is increasing as the Baby Boomer generation enters older adulthood. By 2040, the population aged 65 or older will increase by about 50%—from around 54 million to 81 million. Because of the sheer size of the cohort, the number of drinkers, binge drinkers, and people with AUD is increasing rapidly, too.
Columbia University’s Katherine Keyes, PhD, provided updates on the latest epidemiological findings related to alcohol use among older adults, including risk factors and health-related consequences. Sara Jo Nixon, PhD, of the University of Florida, spoke about the neurobiological and behavioral effects of alcohol consumption by older adults and presented data from driving simulation experiments about how older and younger drivers’ levels of impairment varied. Because of changes in body composition, older drinkers may reach higher blood alcohol concentrations faster than younger drinkers. Older adults are more sensitive to the sedative effects of alcohol, and may experience larger effects on reaction time, balance, attention, and driving skills than younger drinkers. Alcohol also increases the already heightened risk of injury from falls for older adults. Alcohol contributes to accelerated aging in key brain regions, further increasing problems with cognitive function.
Frederic Blow, PhD, of the University of Michigan, reviewed evidence-based best practices for identifying and screening for alcohol misuse and alcohol use disorder in older adults and age-appropriate interventions (such as brief motivational interventions or more intensive treatments) for alcohol misuse/alcohol use disorder. Jeff Boisonneault, PhD, of the University of Florida presented data on how the use of alcohol to relieve pain can often lead to health issues for older adults and discussed research on the understudied topic of chronic pain and alcohol use.
The Friends of NIAAAopens in new window works to promote the research of, and seek a robust research budget for, NIAAA, one of the 27 institutes and centers of the National Institutes of Health.
View the webinar (Youtube, 1:47:47)opens in new window.
For more Information, contact Pat Kobor.