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Alcohol use and potential risk for alcohol-related adverse drug reactions among community-based elderly

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Abstract

This paper documents the frequency of alcohol consumption and concurrent use of alcohol and medications in a random sample of elderly community dwellers. Further, a profile of older persons who are likely to be drinking alcohol is developed and the extent to which they are at potential clinical risk due to their concurrent use of alcohol with prescription and over-the-counter medications is explored. While approximately 43 percent are abstainers, the majority of older respondents reported using alcohol. Older drinkers who take one or more drugs which place them at potential risk for negative drug-alcohol interactions represent one-quarter of this sample but are often overlooked in estimating the extent of alcohol problems in the elderly. By far, the most common risk was from the use of OTC pain medications and alcohol (19 percent). The multivariate analyses revealed that sex, educational attainment, and religious affiliation are important factors to consider in developing a profile of older people who are at risk for alcohol-related ADRs. Implications for health care and social service professionals who work with elderly community-dwellers are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Social Sciences Division, Clinton Community College, 12901, Plattsburgh, New York

    Lorna Earl Forster Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Lorna Earl Forster Ph.D.
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  2. Rachel Pollow Ph.D.
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  3. Eleanor Palo Stoller Ph.D.
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Additional information

Lorna Earl Forster, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Clinton Community College Plattsburgh, New York; Rachel Pollow, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Nursing at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh; and Eleanor Palo Stoller, Ph.D. is a Full Professor of Sociology at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh.

This research was supported by Grant No. RO1 AGO7794, National Institute on Aging, US Department of Health and Human Services.

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Forster, L.E., Pollow, R. & Stoller, E.P. Alcohol use and potential risk for alcohol-related adverse drug reactions among community-based elderly. J Community Health 18, 225–239 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01324433

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