Ageing tends to be associated with a growing burden of disease and prolonged heavy drinking is itself a cause of health problems such as liver disease, raised blood pressure, and some forms of cancer. Alcohol misuse may also lead to an increased likelihood of falls, incontinence, cognitive impairment, hypothermia and self-neglect. These sorts of problems may be regarded by health professionals and members of the family merely as signs of ageing. The Royal College of Physicians suggest that as many as 60 per cent of elderly people admitted to hospital because of confusion, repeated falls at home, recurrent chest infections and heart failure, may have unrecognised alcohol.
