A third of the more-than-sixty-year-old population in Costa Rican has consumed alcohol without control, mainly due to the difficulty to adapt to problematic events that change their lives, according to an analysis by the Educalcohol organization in the country.
Some of these events are changes in family relationships, health problems, living alone or isolated, lack of projects after retirement, past drinking problems, among others.
The characteristics of this population make the topic one of great concern, because an excessive consumption could cause serious problems in their physical and mental health, especially if they are 65 years old or more.
As the body ages, there are changes in the kidneys, liver, cardiovascular system and the brain, causing alcohol to be less efficiently removed,”
said Mónica Solórzano, executive director of Educalcohol.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends no more than 2 alcoholic drinks per day for male senior citizens, and 1 for women.
These drinks can be a beer, a glass of wine or a shot of distilled beverage.
For Dr. Luisa Oviedo, from the Institute on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (Iafa) there are several reasons behind this phenomenon, including the fact that consumption of liquor is part of the culture.
The situation is aggravated because 40% of older adults in Costa Rica consume 5 to 17 prescription drugs a day. The remaining 60% take from one to four.