The protective effect a drink a day may have on older people

An alcoholic drink a day appears to have a protective effect against heart disease, new Australian research has revealed.

A Monash University study of 18,000 people in their mis-70s found those wo drink five to 10 standard drinks a week are much less likely to die from any cause than those who don’t drink at all.

Professor Robyn Woods, from Monash University’s School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, says the results “point towards moderate alcohol intake, which is one to two glasses … on a daily basis”.

The type of alcohol wasn’t factored into the research.

“The questions that we asked were about alcohol consumption, rather than a specific type of alcohol,” Professor Woods told Ross and Russel.

All participants in the study were in good health, so elderly people who have health conditions may not benefit from moderate alcohol consumption.

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