ALCOHOLISM IN THE ELDERLY
The special problem of alcoholism in the elderly. This is Dr. Steven
Andrew Davis, Speaking of Health. According to the Department of
Geriatric Health from the American Medical Association, today about a million
elderly people are alcoholics. Alcoholism poses special problems
for the elderly. Older alcoholics may have increased neural sensitivity
to single doses of alcohol. A given alcohol dose will produce a higher
peak blood alcohol level with age. This may be, in part, because
elderly persons often have a lower body water content, so that a given
amount of alcohol can have more pronounced effects. They can become
intoxicated with fewer drinks and suffer damage to a variety of organ systems
and tissues with ingestions of smaller quantities.
People who are elderly and alcoholic face the long-term damage many
years of drinking brings on. Acute alcoholic hepatitis of earlier
years may have given way to scarring of the liver-- alcoholic cirrhosis.
Chronic alcohol use means more alcohol-related cancers, especially of the
mouth, voice box and esophagus. Heavy drinking over time impacts
the cardiovascular system, so that elderly alcoholics have more strokes
and heart muscle disease. Add to all these problems the chronic central
nervous system effects, which include confusion, forgetfulness, depression
and problems thinking--and you have a picture of chronic alcoholism in
the elderly, a lower profile but higher impact ordeal. For a copy
of this script access our web site, speakingofhealth.com. Speaking
of Health, I'm Dr. Steven Andrew Davis, CBS News.
E-Mail
drdavis@davishealth.com
Dr. Steve Davis
7810 Louis Pasteur #200
San Antonio, Texas 78229
210/614-3355
