Your alcohol tolerance changes as you age – here’s how to minimise the damage

However, Prof Shawcross says that women are particularly vulnerable to health problems from excessive midlife drinking, as being typically smaller and having less muscle mass – something which decreases even more following the menopause – means that alcohol enters the bloodstream more rapidly.

“Women have lower levels of the enzyme that breaks down alcohol,” says Prof Shawcross. “Higher levels of [alcohol-related] endotoxins from gut bacteria are found in women compared to men after a single episode of binge drinking.”

Sixties

According to the US National Survey on Drug Use and Heavy Drinking, nearly 39 per cent of the over-65s report consuming one or two alcoholic drinks per day. However, by our 60s, the decrease in general muscle mass and reduction in liver function which began three decades earlier, means that our tolerance has roughly halved.

Dr Amati recommends avoiding hard liquor and cocktails and switching to lighter options such as ale and cider, as well as giving your body at least one day off in order to regroup and fully remove the alcohol.

“If you’re currently a Scotch or vodka drinker, then switching to one of those lighter alcohols such as beer, cider or wine is likely to be better on the scale,” she says. “And then also always have them with a meal where possible as this helps slow the absorption into the bloodstream. Extra bonus points if it can be lunch so that it doesn’t impact your sleep, which alcohol does quite badly.”

Seventies

By this point, one of the biggest risks of drinking is that many people are on at least one prescription medication, and alcohol can interact with these drugs with potentially deadly consequences.

It’s particularly dangerous to mix alcohol with blood pressure medications, like beta blockers and ACE inhibitors, because alcohol can lower blood pressure in the first 12 hours following ingestion, potentially causing dizziness and a raised heartbeat, as well as increasing your risk of falling or passing out.

Dr Amati says that alcohol can have a real impact on cognitive ability, balance and risk of falling for people in their 60s, 70s and 80s. “When you have a combination of multiple medications and regular alcohol consumption, that can be a slippery slope to frailty,” she says.

For people who wish to continue drinking, she recommends reviewing existing prescriptions with your geriatrician and making sure there are no possible alcohol-drug interactions that can put you at risk.

“It’s a big red flag for older people to watch their alcohol intake,” says Dr Amati. “Having that review is so important, because by that stage in your life, if you’ve been used to drinking, you’re probably not going to stop now.”