ABSTRACT
Introduction .............................................................................................. 1 Epidemiology............................................................................................ 2 Etiology and Subclassification of Alcohol Abuse ................................... 5 Physiology of Alcohol in Elderly People ................................................ 6
General Effects...................................................................................... 7 Effects on the Central Nervous System............................................... 7
Drug Interactions...................................................................................... 7 Natural History and Outcome of Alcohol Abuse in Old Age ................ 8 Damage ..................................................................................................... 9
General .................................................................................................. 9 Medical Complications ........................................................................ 9 Neuropsychiatric Complications ....................................................... 10
Management ........................................................................................... 13 Public Health Measures ..................................................................... 13 Treatment ............................................................................................ 14
Acute Phase .................................................................................... 14 Continuing Care and Prognosis .................................................... 15
Conclusion .............................................................................................. 15 References ............................................................................................... 16
A review at the beginning of the 1990s examined some issues concerning the epidemiology and diagnosis of alcohol abuse in old age.
