According to a 2010 study by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health nearly 40 percent of adults age 65 and older drink alcohol. While drinking some alcohol may not be bad for you, drinking too much or drinking it with medications could be very serious.
In general, a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that one or two drinks a day can lower the risk of dying from heart disease by a third or so. Women are advised to limit intake to one a day, men to two. But don’t drink more than that, or you’ll up the risks of ill health, including strokes and cancers of the liver, throat and breast.
Depending on your health, you might be taking more medications as you get older. That can be a problem with alcohol also. Another problem can be that the ability to metabolise alcohol decresaes with age meaning the alcohol stays in the body longer. This can also have a result of causing more dehydration. These factors only add to the aging process.
So enjoy alcohol within reason, remembering to stay hydrated in the process by drinking a full glass of water for each glass of alcohol.