Working for MPs in Whitehall is stressful enough at the best of times, as Yes Minister famously depicted. Now a study has revealed that real life Sir Humphreys often turn to “hazardous” levels of drinking over the course of their careers.
Researchers at University College London (UCL) collected information on the drinking habits of 4,820 UK civil servants since 1985, aged between 34 and 56 at the study outset. Three-quarters were male and the average age by the end of the study was 69.
Based on their drinking patterns, people were divided into five groups: never hazardous drinker, former early hazardous drinker (stopped before age 50), former later hazardous drinker (stopped at age 50 or after), current hazardous drinker, and consistent hazardous drinker (during every decade of their life). A person who has three or four drinks, four or more times a week, was classified as a hazardous drinker.
More than half of drinkers (56 per cent) had been hazardous drinkers at some point in their life, with 21 per cent being current hazardous drinkers and 5 per cent being consistent hazardous drinkers. Current and consistent heavy drinkers were mainly male (80 per cent and 82 per cent, respectively), predominately white, and likely to be in senior level jobs.
High blood pressure
The study found that heavy alcohol consumption over a lifetime is associated with higher blood pressure, poorer liver function, increased stroke risk, and a waistline 4cm bigger in later life, even if you stop drinking heavily before age 50. However, stopping heavy drinking at any point in life is likely to be beneficial for overall health.
Former early hazardous drinkers on average had a 1.17 cm larger waist than never hazardous drinkers, whereas former later hazardous drinkers, current hazardous drinkers and consistent hazardous drinkers had a waist circumference that was 1.88 cm, 2.44 cm and 3.85cm larger respectively.
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The research team called for early intervention and screening for alcohol consumption, as part of regular check-ups for older people, which could help reduce their hazardous drinking.
Dr Linda Ng Fat, first author on the study, said: “Alcohol misuse, despite the common perception of young people binge drinking, is common among older adults, with alcohol related hospital admissions in England being the highest among adults aged over 50.
“Previous studies have focused on single snapshots of consumption, which has the potential to mask the cumulative effects of drinking. This study raises awareness of the effect of alcohol consumption over the life-course.”
The study is published in the journal Addiction.