Sex and age
Many people who watch a doctor had a drinking problem at some point. Most are men, but the incidence of alcoholism in women has been increasing over the past 30 years.
For men, the overall risk for developing alcoholism is a 3% to 5%, and for women the risk is 1%. Women tend to become alcoholic later in life than men, but the medical problems that develop because of the disorder occur in the same age as in men, suggesting that women are more susceptible to physical toxicity of alcohol.
Although alcoholism usually develops in early adulthood, the elderly are not exempt. Moreover, some 3 million Americans over age 60 are alcoholics or have a drinking problem.
Alcohol affects the older body differently, and people who hold the same drinking patterns as they age can easily develop alcohol dependency without realizing it.
