Excessive alcohol intake causes bone loss. Alcohol abuse is a commonly associated disorder in femoral neck fractures in men, but little attention is given to such an association in women. Using serum biochemical and haematological markers (mean red cell volume MCV, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase GGT, aspartate transaminase AST, uric acid UA and triglyceride TG) alcohol abuse was assessed in 14 men and 93 women with non-violent fractures of the hip. Abnormal elevations in one or more of the five test pairs known to correlate with increasing alcohol consumption (GGT/MCV, GGT/AST, AST/MCV, MCV/UA) were found in 7.1% of men, and 11.8% of women. When abnormal results in other test pairs were included the prevalence rose to 14.3% in men and 20.4% in women. These figures are higher than those reported for the general population of elderly people.