Alcohol complicates multimorbidity in older adults

Lower birth rates and higher life expectancy are transforming global population age profiles, such that the prevalence of long term health conditions in the general population is rising steeply, with more people living with multimorbidity as they age.1 Most people aged 65 or over have multiple conditions,1 and the proportion with multimorbidity can be expected to increase further. Trends in alcohol consumption show higher levels of unhealthy drinking among older birth cohorts in high income countries, and older people in the UK drink more than those in other European countries, Australasia, and North America.2 The challenges of clinical management of older adults with multimorbidity are made more difficult by alcohol consumption, even at low doses.