ABSTRACT
Introduction .......................................................................................... 113 Cardiovascular Disease ........................................................................ 114
Alcohol Abuse and Cardiovascular Disease ................................... 115 Tobacco Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease .............................. 115
Cancer .................................................................................................. 116 Alcohol Abuse and Cancer .............................................................. 117 Tobacco Smoking and Cancer .......................................................... 119
Conclusions........................................................................................... 119 References ............................................................................................. 120
The size of the elderly population in the U.S. has grown substantially during the 20th century and is projected to rise well into the next century. Life expectancy has continued to rise for Americans and is now over 75 years.