One in five seniors drinks too much says a study from King's College London. Seniors who tend to drink more than safe each week — more than 21 units of alcohol for men and 14 for women — are likely to be white and of higher economic status.

Researchers examined the records of 27,991 Londoners aged 65 and older, and found that 9,248 of them said they drank alcohol. Of those, 1,980 people drank too much.

Those drinking in excess were likely to be male, younger, and have higher socioeconomic status.

"As the Baby Boomer generation become seniors, they represent an ever increasing population of older people drinking at levels that pose a risk to their health," said lead author Dr. Tony Rao. "This study shows the need for greater awareness of the potential for alcohol related harm in older people, particularly those of higher socio-economic status, who may suffer the consequences of ill health from alcohol at an earlier age than those in previous generations."

The top 5 percent of men problem drinkers reported consuming more than 49 units of alcohol per week, and women who drank too much said they consumed more than 23 units per week.

Those who drank were more likely to be white, while people of Asian, African, or Caribbean descent were less likely to drink.

"Based on our findings, the elderly who were most at risk were those from the white British population rather than from an ethnic minority, and those who were wealthier and better educated rather than those from a more deprived background," said study author Dr. Mark Ashworth.