GAINESVILLE, Fla., Mar 6, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- People age 50 and older
performed worse on special tests after having moderate amounts of alcohol, but
they did not know it, U.S. researchers said.
The University of Florida researchers said that although people 50 or older in
the study metabolized alcohol similar to how younger people did, they performed
worse on special tests after having moderate amounts of alcohol and did not
always realize when they were impaired.
The study, published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, found soon
after having alcohol, older adults also took on average five seconds longer to
complete a test than their counterparts who did not have a drink.
"That doesn't sound like much, but five seconds is a big difference if you're in
a car and need to apply the brakes," lead author Sara Jo Nixon of the University
of Florida's McKnight Brain Institute said in a statement. "It can mean the
difference between a wreck, and not-a-wreck."
The study involved 68 non-smokers -- one group age 50-74 and a comparison group
aged 25-35 -- who had at least one drink a month. Within each group, some
individuals were given alcohol while others were given a placebo beverage that
did not elevate their breath alcohol levels.
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