New study finds that even light drinking can harm the health of older adults

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A new study finds that even light drinking can harm the health of middle-aged adults and is linked to increased cancer deaths.

That's why Central Valley doctors are urging people, especially those who are over 45 years old with existing health conditions, to not drink at all.

"If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, or anything like that, you're also at increased risk of having complications. Even just by drinking a small amount of alcohol on a daily basis," said Dr. Jesus Rodriguez, a Family Medicine Physician at Kaiser Permanente in Fresno.

New research from the Journal of American Medical Association Network revealed that alcohol might not be your friend, especially as you get older.

"At this point, based on the new research that we're getting, any amount of alcohol could be detrimental to our health," said Dr. Rodriguez.

The study looked at over 135,000 participants over 60 years old. It found that both light and moderate drinkers still had a risk of dying from cancer.

"You put yourself at higher risk of having throat or larynx cancer, esophageal stomach cancer, and even colon cancer," said Dr. Rodriguez. "For women, you increase the risk of breast cancer."

The study also found moderate drinkers also had a higher all-cause death risk.

"There's a lot of people that say 'I just have one drink a day.' but it's a 46 ounce of beer," said Dr. Rodriguez. "That's not one drink -- that's multiple drinks. If you're going to drink at all, drink the least amount of possible that you can."

Rodriguez explains that alcohol could also increase your chances of heart disease and can impact how you function.

"It actually affects even your ability for your heart to work appropriately," said Dr. Rodriguez. "So a lot of the things that we take for granted when you're young, like running, being intimate with your partner."

Research also showed that a person's background also impacts their drinking habits.

"We know that people that have lower socioeconomic status have less access to fresh foods, less access to medical care," said Dr. Rodriguez. "They may not live the healthier lifestyles, so they're already starting kind of behind other groups."

But doctors agree the safest level of drinking is no drinking at all.

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