Nearly 42 percent of U.S. adults who drink regularly also report using medications known to interact with alcohol, based on a study from the National Institutes of Health released last week. Among those older than 65 years of age who drink alcohol, nearly 78 percent of them report using alcohol-interactive medications. This could put people at risk for nausea, headaches, loss of coordination and even internal bleeding, heart problems and difficulty breathing.<\/p>\n
The research is among the first to estimate the proportion of adult drinkers in the United States who may be mixing alcohol-interactive medications with alcohol.<\/p>\n
\u201cCombining alcohol with medications often carries the potential for serious health risks,\u201d said Dr. George Koob, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of NIH. \u201cBased on this study, many individuals may be mixing alcohol with interactive medications and they should be aware of the possible harms.\u201d Dr. Koob will be addressing CADCA\u2019s coalitions at its 25th annual National Leadership Forum next week.<\/p>\n
The study, led by Dr. Rosalind Breslow, Ph.D., appears in the February issue of \u201cAlcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur findings show that a substantial percentage of people who drink regularly, particularly older adults, could be at risk of harmful alcohol and medication interactions,\u201d Dr. Breslow said in a news release. \u201cWe suggest that people talk to their doctor or pharmacist about whether they should avoid alcohol while taking their prescribed medications.\u201d<\/p>\n
The researchers analyzed data from more than 26,000 adults ages 20 and older who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2010). The survey asks participants about alcohol use in the past year and prescription drug use in the past month.<\/p>\n
The main types of alcohol-interactive medications reported in the survey were blood pressure medications, sleeping pills, pain medications, muscle relaxers, diabetes and cholesterol medications, antidepressants and antipsychotics.<\/p>\n