Background: Risky alcohol consumption (RAC) can lead to alcohol-related liver disease (ALD). Liver cirrhosis caused by ALD continues to increase as alcohol consumption continues unabated. In turn, the elderly are more sensitive to alcohol. Population ageing calls for preventive activities to improve their health. Brief interventions have proven to be cost-effective in addressing risk behaviours. Aim: We aimed to analyse the prevalence of RAC in people > 64 years and to assess the effect of a brief intervention in the subgroup of risky consumers. Methods: population-based study in two phases: (1) Phase I: Cross-sectional, descriptive multicentre study of prevalence of RAC in people > 64 years. (2) Phase II: Cluster randomized, controlled, single-blind, community-based clinical trial with two comparison groups of subjects with RAC, to assess the effectiveness of a brief intervention compared to standard practice in reducing alcohol consumption in primary care. Results: Out of the 932 subjects, 455 (49%) (268 men (64%) and 187 women (36%)) had an alcohol consumption that was considered to be risky. Overall, the brief intervention was effective in reducing alcohol consumption showing 1.8 OR (p = 0.030). That effect was caused by women whose group showed 3.3 OR (p = 0.009). There was no effect on men (p = 0.468). Conclusions: RAC in the elderly is very high, far more in men than in women. A brief intervention was successful in reducing alcohol consumption but not below risk levels. Further research is needed to determine which types of interventions are most effective in this population subgroup.

Background/Objectives: Alcohol consumption and medication use have increased among the elderly population, raising the risk of alcohol–drug interactions and adverse outcomes. Sex-related biological differences may further influence these effects. This study aimed to assess sex-related differences among older adults with risky alcohol consumption, con-sidering medication use, comorbidities, and hepatic biomarkers. Methods: A cross-sectional, multicenter study was conducted in adults aged ≥65 years. A total of 455 participants with risky alcohol consumption were included. Sociodemographic and clini-cal characteristics, medication prescriptions, and blood analytical parameters were col-lected. Results: Of the participants, 41% were women, with a mean age of 71 years. The mean weekly alcohol consumption was 8.4 ± 8.3 standard drink units. Overall, 71.2% were taking at least one medication, with antihypertensives being the most commonly pre-scribed (62%). Significant sex differences were observed (p ≤ 0.01): men showed higher use of antidiabetic drugs (24%), anticoagulants (8%), and nitrates (4%), whereas women more frequently used anxiolytics (35%), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (22%), and anti-depressants (18%). Significant differences were also observed in hepatic biomarkers, with higher gamma-glutamyl transferase levels in men and a higher AST/ALT ratio in women (p ≤ 0.01). Although risky alcohol consumption was more prevalent among men, women had a higher overall medication use. Conclusions: A high proportion of older adults with risky alcohol consumption are exposed to concurrent pharmacological treatments, in-creasing the potential for clinically relevant alcohol–drug interactions. The observed sex differences in comorbidities, medication use, and hepatic biomarkers underscore the im-portance of incorporating a sex-based perspective in research and clinical practice.

Background/Objectives: Alcohol consumption and medication use have increased among older population, potentially increasing the risk of alcohol–drug interactions and adverse outcomes. Biological sex differences may further influence these effects. This study aimed to assess sex-related differences in medication use, comorbidities, and hepatic biomarkers among older adults with risky alcohol consumption. Methods: A cross-sectional, multicenter study was conducted in 455 adults aged ≥65 years. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, medication prescriptions, and hepatic biomarkers were collected. Results: Of the participants, 41% were women, with a mean age of 71 years. The median weekly alcohol consumption was 7 standard drink units. Overall, 90% were taking at least one medication, with antihypertensives being the most prescribed (62%). Significant sex differences were observed (p ≤ 0.01): men showed higher use of antidiabetic drugs (24%), anticoagulants (8%), and nitrates (4%), whereas women more frequently used anxiolytics (35%), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (22%), and antidepressants (18%). Although risky alcohol consumption was more prevalent among men, women had a higher overall medication use. Significant differences were also observed in hepatic biomarkers, with higher gamma-glutamyl transferase levels and a higher prevalence of elevated FIB-4 values among men (p ≤ 0.01). Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of routinely assessing alcohol consumption and medication use in older adults and support incorporating a sex-specific perspective into clinical practice and future research.