In Sweden, as in most of the developed world, older people comprise an increasing proportion of the population. For this subgroup, the aging process in general increases risks to health, safety, and quality of life and, as a result, older persons account for a substantial burden of health care problems and health-related costs in Sweden, as in most countries.
While consuming alcohol can add to the health and safety risks of any age group, these risks are increased for the older population. Typically, older people drink less than younger age people which may lead to the improper conclusion that they have less risk associated with alcohol. However, in reality the interaction of greater susceptibility to alcohol’s effects and the greater health risks associated with aging combine to actually increase the risks of alcohol-related harm among older people. For example, decreases in body mass associated with aging can result in higher blood alcohol concentration (BAC) for older persons from consuming a fixed quantity of alcohol. In addition, changes in liver metabolism, slower reaction time and taking multiple chronic medications may further increase both BACs and the risk of experiencing negative alcohol-related effects from a given BAC.
Risks from alcohol-related harms arise from both chronic exposure as the result of cumulative consumption over time (e.g., liver cirrhosis), and acute impairment from heavy drinking episodes (e.g., falls and motor vehicle crashes). Although many think of alcohol-related conditions as being caused only by very heavy drinking or drinking to the point of severe intoxication, there has been a growing recognition that lower levels of consumption, either in aggregate or on a per-occasion basis, can cause health, safety, and social problems, especially for older persons.