Excessive consumption of alcohol by the geriatric population and its relationship with psychiatric drugs

Objective. To describe excessive alcohol consumption in the geriatric population and its association with treatment with psychiatric drugs. Design. Transversal, descriptive study. Setting. Community. Participants. A representative sample of the population over 59 years old in the city of Zaragoza, Spain. Main measurements. Using a personal clinical questionnaire, we collected the following data: age, sex, marital status, educational status, economic level, occupation, people who Eve together, and drug, psychiatric drug, and alcohol consumption. Results. In our sample there were 2.4% with excessive alcohol consumption. This excessive alcohol consumption was associated with sex (men) (P <.001), with age (higher in young patients) (P <.001), with marital status (P <.001), with educational status (P=.009), with economic level (P=.002), with occupation (P <.001) and with people who live together (P <.001). On correcting these variables by sex, we found that there was a statistically significant association with age and economic level in men, and with marital status in women. Patients with excessive alcohol consumption used fewer drugs and psychiatric drugs than patients without excessive alcohol consumption, though the figure for psychiatric drugs had no statistical significance. Conclusions. Excessive alcohol consumption is higher in men, in separated and divorced people, and in those with a high economic level and becomes lower with age. Patients with excessive alcohol consumption use fewer drugs and psychiatric drugs.