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Successful people at extra risk of harmful drinking

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London: People who are in their 50s and are “successful agers” – healthy, active, sociable and well off – are more at the risk of harmful drinking than their less successful peers, researchers have warned.

Harmful drinking is a “middle-class phenomenon” that may be a hidden health and social problem in otherwise successful older people, they added.

“We can sketch the problem of harmful drinking among people aged 50 or over as a ‘middle class phenomenon’. These are healthy people with higher income, higher educational attainment, socially more active and are more likely to drink at harmful levels,” the authors wrote in the BMJ Open journal.

Higher risk of harmful drinking was not linked to feelings of loneliness or depression but it was more likely among men living on their own, including those who were separated or divorced.

Caring responsibilities lowered the probability of being at higher risk among women, but religious belief did not – for either sex.

Employment status did not seem to be a significant factor but women who had retired were more likely to be at higher risk, the study noted.

Income was associated with a higher risk but only among women while smoking, higher educational attainment and good health were all linked to heightened risk in both sexes.

The authors analysed over 9000 responses to the English Longitudinal Survey of Ageing (ELSA) – a long term study of a representative sample of those aged 50 and above living independently at home in England.

They used national guidance to define increasing risk of harmful drinking at 22-50 weekly units for men and 15 to 35 weekly units for women.

“The results show that the current group of over 50s may be carrying on levels of higher consumption, developed in their younger years, in later life,” the researchers concluded.

Corona

Covid toll in Karnataka is a worrying sign for state government

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Even though Karnataka recorded the lowest number of Covid deaths in April since the virus struck first in 2020, the state is recording a rise in the positivity rate (1.50 per cent). Five people died from the Covid infections in April as per the statistics released by the state health department. In March, the positivity rate stood around 0.53 per cent. In the first week of April it came down to 0.38 per cent, second week registered 0.56 per cent, third week it rose to 0.79 per cent and by end of April the Covid positivity rate touched 1.19 per cent.

on an average 500 persons used to succumb everyday in the peak of Covid infection, as per the data. Health experts said that the mutated Coronavirus is losing its fierce characteristics as vaccination, better treatment facilities and awareness among the people have contributed to the lesser number of Covid deaths.

During the 4th and 6th of April two deaths were reported in Bengaluru, one in Gadag district on April 8, two deaths were reported from Belagavi and Vijayapura on April 30. The first Covid case was reported in the state in March 2020 and three Covid deaths were recorded in the month. In the following month 21 people became victims to the deadly virus, and May 2020 recorded 22 deaths. The death toll recorded everyday after May crossed three digits. However, the third wave, which started in January 2

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