摘要：The growing number of individuals aged 65 and older will bring a relevant increase in the amount and costs of primary and specialty care for this group. The burden of diseases in this part of the population is mainly attributable to chronic conditions mainly related with risk factors connected with unhealthy lifestyles. Worldwide, hazardous and harmful alcohol use affects mostly middle aged individuals and older people, particularly men; the alcoholic beverages consumption represents the most common way of substance use by older adults. Many of the acute and chronic conditions that influence the high rates of health care use by older people are influenced by the consumption of alcohol; liver disease, cardiovascular disease, drugs or medication interactions, injury, memory problems, depression, cognitive changes and sleep problems may be considered a core selection of the long list of more than 60 diseases and cancers that have been showed to be fully or partially alcohol attributable. Due to the aging of the population and to the lifetime exposure to alcohol use, prevalence rates of substance use disorders are projected to increase dramatically. Over the past years, there has been a growing attention at European level on the relevance of alcohol use disorders in the elderly, as an increasing and common public health problem.
