OLDER boozers recover faster from surgery than teetotallers and light drinkers, a study reveals.
Being over 60 and a bit of a tippler could boost health by cutting stress as well as leading to a better social life.
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It found those who drank “medium to potentially hazardous” amounts of alcohol felt better during hospital treatment.
They reported less disability and pain and better overall health before and after operations, compared to those who have little or no alcohol.
The study by University Hospital Bonn, Germany, looked at 628 ageing patients.
Lead author Vera Guttenthaler said: “Higher alcohol consumption may lead to elevated mood, enhanced sociability and reduced stress.”
UK experts say alcohol is unlikely to cause better health, but healthier people drink more because they can.
They account for one in three older Brits.
Dr Tony Rao, of the Institute of Psychiatry, said: “In older people, alcohol consumption is higher in better-off groups.”
The study was revealed at the Euroanaesthesia Congress in Milan, Italy.