Alcohol use disorders in the elderly: A brief overview from epidemiology to treatment options

Abstract

Alcohol-use-disorders (AUDs) afflict 1–3% of elderly subjects. The CAGE, SMAST-G, and AUDIT are the most common and validated questionnaires used to identify AUDs in the elderly, and some laboratory markers of alcohol abuse (AST, GGT, MCV, and CDT) may also be helpful. In particular, the sensitivity of MCV or GGT in detecting alcohol misuse is higher in older than in younger populations. The incidence of medical and neurological complications during alcohol withdrawal syndrome in elderly alcoholics is higher than in younger alcoholics. Chronic alcohol abuse is associated with tissue damage to several organs. Namely, an increased level of blood pressure is more frequent in the elderly than in younger adults, and a greater vulnerability to the onset of alcoholic liver disease, and an increasing risk of breast cancer in menopausal women have been described. In addition, the prevalence of dementia in elderly alcoholics is almost 5 times higher than in non-alcoholic elderly individuals, approximately 25% of elderly patients with dementia also present AUDs, and almost 20% of individuals aged 65 and over with a diagnosis of depression have a co-occurring AUD. Moreover, prevention of drinking relapse in older alcoholics is, in some cases, better than in younger patients; indeed, more than 20% of treated elderly alcohol-dependent patients remain abstinent after four years. Considering that the incidence of AUDs in the elderly is fairly high, and AUDs in the elderly are still underestimated, more studies in the fields of epidemiology, prevention and pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatment of AUDs in the elderly are warranted.

Diarrhoea is not the only symptom that needs to be treated in patients with microscopic colitis

“…The wine consumption amongst women has been steadily increasing in Sweden during the last decades, coincident 4 with the same time interval when MC has increased in incidence [2,16]. It is known that women are more vulnerable to alcohol than men [17]. The effect of physical activity on symptoms in MC has never been studied, although physical activity has a positive effect on IBS symptoms [13].…”

The Relationship between Alcohol and Seizures: An Overview of the Major Data

“…Children, adolescents and also elderly are more vulnerable to alcohol-related injuries and crashes with motor-vehicles [1], whereas mild to severe traumatic brain injuries increase the risk of epilepsy and are incriminated in about 6% of epilepsy [51]. Among the elderly, alcohol misuse concerns 1-3% of them and is sometimes underestimated [52]. Elderly are susceptible to present more severe and longer alcohol withdrawal symptoms than mid-life adults [53].…”

Patología dual en poblaciones especiales: una revisión narrativa

“…De igual manera, estudios realizados en pacientes geriátricos tratados por TCS indican una prevalencia de OTP de entre 21 y 66%, siendo la concurrencia entre trastornos por uso de alcohol y depresión, la más frecuente en esta población (Blow, Cook, Booth, Falcon & Friedman, 1992;Caputo et al, 2012;Brennan, Schute, & Moos, 2005). También se ha identificado que la presencia conjunta de trastornos por uso de alcohol, trastornos ansiosos y trastorno depresivo tiene una relación causal con 70% de los suicidios reportados en esta población, así como con episodios de violencia doméstica, dificultades en el funcionamiento social y mayor nivel de discapacidad (Caputo et al, 2012;Gum, King-Kallimanis, & Kohn, 2009;Salmon & Forrester, 2012). Algunos estudios relevantes sobre concurrencia de TCS y OTP en adultos mayores se presentan en la Tabla 5.…”

“…Los TCS y OTP en esta población incrementan el riesgo de padecer enfermedades crónico-degenerativas (como diabetes mellitus, cataratas, ceguera, glaucoma, úlcera duodenal y cáncer, entre otras), enfermedades infecciosas, problemas de sueño y de memoria, y demencias (Aguilar-Navarro & Ávila-Funes, 2007; Blow & Barry, 2003;Blow et al, 2007;Caputo et al, 2012;Mendoza-Meléndez et al, 2015).…”