Women at Higher Risk for the Effects of Alcohol

Women at Higher Risk for the Effects of Alcohol Addiction Alcohol Use Print Women and the Effects of Alcohol Women Are at Higher Risk for Serious Medical Consequences By Buddy T facebook twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial policy Buddy T Updated on January 29, 2020 PhotoExpress More in Addiction Alcohol Use Binge Drinking Withdrawal and Relapse Children of Alcoholics Drunk Driving Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery Women have a higher risk than men for certain serious medical consequences of alcohol use, including liver, brain, and heart damage, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. An  NIAAA Alcohol Alert reports that women achieve higher concentrations of alcohol in the blood and become more impaired than men after drinking equivalent amounts of alcohol. They are more susceptible than men to alcohol-related organ damage and to trauma resulting from traffic crashes and interpersonal violence. Alcohol and Gender Differences Researchers believe that the higher risks are due to gender differences in metabolism or gender-related differences in brain chemistry, but experts admit the risks could be because of different factors that are currently not known. Women absorb and metabolize alcohol differently than men. Women generally achieve higher concentrations of alcohol in the blood after drinking equivalent amounts of alcohol. Multiple Factors Affecting Women The following are some of the areas in which women experience more effects than men who drink alcohol at the same rate as women: Liver Damageâ€"Compared with men, women develop the alcohol-induced liver disease over a shorter period of time and after consuming less alcohol. Women are also more likely than men to develop alcoholic hepatitis and to die from cirrhosis. Brain Damageâ€"Women may be more vulnerable than men to alcohol-induced brain damage. Using MRI, researchers found that a brain region involved in coordinating multiple brain functions was significantly smaller among alcoholic women compared with both nonalcoholic women and alcoholic men. Heart Diseaseâ€"Among heavier drinkers, research shows similar rates of alcohol-associated heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy) for both men and women, despite womens 60 percent lower lifetime alcohol use. Breast Cancerâ€"Many studies report that moderate to heavy alcohol consumption increases the risk for breast cancer, although one recent study found no increased breast cancer risk associated with consumption of up to one drink per day, the maximum drinking level reported by most women. Traffic Crashesâ€"Although women are less likely than men to drive after drinking and to be involved in fatal alcohol-related crashes, women have a higher relative risk of driver fatality than men at similar blood alcohol concentrations. Laboratory studies of the effects of alcohol on responding to visual cues and other tasks suggest that there may be gender differences in how alcohol affects the performance of driving tasks. Addiction and Dependenceâ€"According to the book, Women Under the Influence, females become addicted to alcohol, nicotine, and illegal and prescription drugs, and develop substance-related diseases at lower levels of use and in a shorter period of time than their male counterparts. Mental Illnessâ€"Women who are heavy drinkersâ€"defined as more than 15 drinks a weekâ€"have an increased risk of experiencing mental illness, specifically depression and anxiety. More Research Is Needed Researchers are currently attempting to identify gender-specific genetic factors whose interactions might contribute to differential sensitivity to alcohols effects. The alcohol research field has begun to recognize the importance of understanding gender differences in how alcohol is used, in the consequences of alcohol use, and in the development of alcohol dependence, said former NIAAA Director Enoch Gordis, M.D. The more science can tell us about gender-related aspects of alcohol-related problemsâ€"not only what they are but whyâ€"the better job we will be able to do to prevent and treat those problems in all populations, he said.