People often drink less alcohol as they get older, however a new study into the drinking habits of people over the age of 45 has revealed that single, rich, educated men appear to be the most likely to drink more alcohol later in life.

The UK study, which took 10 years to complete, involved 4,500 men and women over the age of 45. The researchers wanted to identify how the drinking habits of people change in reaction to events that occur in their lives.

The study found that overall, healthy, single, rich and educated men continue to drink more alcohol as they age. Reasons for this include the fact that these men have multiple opportunities to socialise and have a disposable income.

Men who fit into this category consumed an average of 24 small glasses of wine per week at the start of the study. This contrasted with single, retired men with no qualifications and poor health - they consumed an average of five small glasses of wine per week.

This trend of poorer health and lower levels of education being linked to lower alcohol consumption was also found in women.

The loss of a partner was also linked to lower alcohol consumption among women. In fact, women who lost a partner over the course of the study reduced their drinking levels by 16%.

Meanwhile the study found that in general, older people in poor health recorded the greatest decline in both the quantity and frequency of alcohol consumed. This, the researchers said, goes against the idea that people in poor health drink more.

The reasons for this, they suggested, include interactions between alcohol and medication and limits on opportunities for social drinking as a result of an illness.

The study also found that people over the age of 50 who had given up alcohol at the beginning of the study period, were more likely to record an improvement in their health compared to those who continued to drink.

"Our findings suggest that the group most at risk of heavy drinking in later life are older single men with high levels of education and above average wealth.

"Suggesting that health organisations target this group is not necessarily straightforward as these men might not identify their drinking as problem behaviour. Also this group are less likely to have poor health in the short term, hence the need for intervention might not be apparent," commented lead researcher, Prof Clare Holdsworth, of Keele University.