▪ Abstract Although older individuals drink less and report fewer alcohol-related problems
than do younger individuals, alcohol use and abuse are significant health issues for older …

Alcohol abuse and alcoholism are common but underrecognized problems among older
adults. One third of older alcoholic persons develop a problem with alcohol in later life, while …

Alcohol use and use disorders in older people tend to be hidden and ignored by clinicians
and scholars. Resulting misinformation about elderly alcohol problems can be found in such …

Alcohol abuse by elderly persons may be overlooked by clinicians because the effects of
alcoholism on intellectual processes may be attributed to advancing age. In older patients, in …

Substance-related disorders in the elderly remain overlooked and undertreated. Up to 16%
of the elderly have alcohol use disorders. With Americans age 65 and older constituting the …

Demographic information suggests that the problems of alcohol abuse among the elderly
will increase at least in proportion to the population growth of that sector. While fewer older …

Demographic trends reveal the elderly to be the fastest growing segment of the population.
Physicians can therefore anticipate encountering increasing numbers of older patients with …

Common criteria for recognizing alcoholism are often not applicable to older patients.
Because of physiologic changes associated with aging, a stable pattern of moderate alcohol …

The subject of alcoholism in late life has received relatively little attention in the literature.
This is despite the fact that elderly people are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of …

Alcohol intake can precipitate problems, especially confusion, in nonalcoholic older
individuals suffering from medical disorders. Alcoholism is seen in 15% or more of older …