This problem takes a horrendous toll on society. Current estimates are that alcoholism, alcohol abuse or problem drinking affect as many as three million elderly Americans. The elderly are hospitalized as often for alcohol-related problems as for heart attacks. Research has shown that physicians often miss the diagnosis of alcoholism in the elderly, identifying the problem in only 22 to 37 percent of actual cases seen in emergency rooms or during hospitalizations. Alcoholism affects five elderly men for every one woman.
Women are more likely to go undiagnosed due to bias and social isolation.
The risk of developing alcohol-related problems late in life is higher for women than for men. Cognitive impairment, depression and attempted suicide are seen more often in the alcoholic elderly versus the non-alcoholic. The elderly are more susceptible to problems with alcohol for a variety of reasons. Emotionally, they face the stresses of growing old, retiring, losing friends and family. Physically, changes in body composition, such as decreased fat and water content, cause small amounts of alcohol to have a much more pronounced effect on the elderly than on younger individuals.