Author: James Anderson

New study shows alcohol deaths on the rise in women What are the warning signs?

Now, as women approach parity in drinking habits, scientists are uncovering more about the unequal damage that alcohol causes to their bodies. In Cooper’s teenage years, alcohol helped her overcome social anxiety, she says. “It’s hard to get out of that cycle of shame, drinking and abuse,” Cooper says. Perhaps most concerning is that the rising gender equality in alcohol use doesn’t extend to the recognition or treatment of alcohol disorders, Sugarman says.

So even as some women drink more, they’re often less likely to get the help they need. Unfortunately, women are prone to several conditions that may tempt them to overindulge in alcohol. For starters, women are more likely to be depressed and anxious than men — and are also more commonly victims of sexual violence — and drinking can be one way that women cope with these experiences. ABC News Medical Contributor Dr. Darien Sutton told “Good Morning America” that there is a physiological difference between men and women when it comes to the effects of drinking, making women less able to metabolize alcohol as quickly as men. Those who frequently rely on alcohol to manage stress or who regularly experience symptoms of overconsumption—such as lethargy or foggy thinking—should talk to their primary care physician, Patel says. A doctor may recommend seeing a therapist to learn alternative stress-management techniques or joining a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous.

There’s also a link between drinking and an increased risk of breast cancer. A glass of wine would help ease her stress at first, she says, but when the glass was empty, her anxiety only worsened. Within a year, she was drinking daily, couldn’t sleep and started calling in sick. One study that looked at alcohol’s effects on college students early in the pandemic found increased alcohol use among those who reported higher levels of stress and anxiety.

“Anytime I felt anything I didn’t want to feel, I used outside things to manage that, and alcohol was very effective,” she said. The next day, she would feel shaky and even more stressed—and still be facing the demons she drank to avoid. Research shows women suffer health consequences of alcohol — liver disease, heart disease and cancer — more quickly than men and even with lower levels of consumption. As the gender gap in drinking narrows, alcohol-related complications in women are rising. From immune system disorders to breast cancer, here’s how alcohol harms the female body.

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Any amount increases the risk for heart disease, stroke, and aneurysms, the group stated. Cooper says enrolling in a 90-day residential treatment program in 2018 drastically changed her own perception of who is affected by addiction. She found herself surrounded by other women in their 20s who also struggled with alcohol and other drugs. Although the gender gap in alcohol consumption is narrowing among all ages, the reasons differ. For people over 26, women are increasing their alcohol consumption faster than men.

They’re at greater risk for hangovers, blackouts, liver disease, alcohol-induced cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers. One study found alcohol-related visits to the emergency room from 2006 to 2014 increased 70% for women, compared with 58% for men. Another paper reported that the rate of alcohol-related cirrhosis from 2009 to 2015 rose 50% for women, compared with 30% for men. When the psychedelic drug psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) was administered twice along with psychotherapy, it significantly lowered heavy drinking days in people with alcohol use disorder.

Effects of Alcohol on the Cardiovascular System in Women

Dr. Schneekloth conducts research in the field of addiction psychiatry, particularly alcoholism research and transplant psychiatry. A practical and extensive resource guide for women who want to understand and take charge of their own health and healthcare, presented in short, focused, easy-to-read chapters. Terry D. Schneekloth, M.D., a Mayo Clinic psychiatrist with expertise in alcoholism and addiction, helps break down some of the differences. However, the rate of death among women increased more rapidly over the same period, up to 14.7% between 2018 to 2020 versus 12.5% in men over the same two years. Cooper plans to return to school this fall for a master’s degree in social work, with the goal of working to change those gender disparities in the field.

Research suggests that people who drink to cope — as opposed to drinking for pleasure — have a higher risk of developing alcohol use disorder. And while every individual’s reasons for drinking are different, studies have found that women are more likely to drink to cope than men. If you’re unhappy with your alcohol use, it’s never too late to consider cutting back or quitting. A large study of women who quit drinking demonstrated an improvement in their mental well-being.

1. Or it might involve a referral to a psychiatrist, who can prescribe craving-reducing medicines such as naltrexone, disulfiram, and acamprosate.
2. This finding is not unexpected, says Ibraheem Karaye, assistant professor of population health at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, and the study’s coauthor.
3. And their hormonal fluctuations are thought to play a role in how quickly alcohol breaks down.
4. And in June, researchers reported that rats given the new weight-loss drug semaglutide (aka Wagovy) reduced their desire to imbibe.

One reason may be that women don’t always recognize how much they’re drinking, Patel says. An official serving of wine is just five ounces, but today’s large stemware often holds 10 ounces or more. When two people polish off a bottle over dinner, they’ve each had two-and-a-half servings.

Alcohol and Liver Function in Women

Moreover, women who drink develop a greater number of medical problems, and at much lower alcohol levels, than men. Women who consume less than two drinks a day increase their risk of death from any cause, according to an analysis published in March. Unlike hard drugs, alcohol is generally viewed as a less dangerous way to destress and reduce inhibitions for women, says Dhruti Patel, a specialist in addiction psychiatry at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. “It’s legal, readily available, and not so taboo in society, so women feel less worry drinking,” she says.

What can I do to resolve this?

And several studies found women were more likely to report rises in drinking during the pandemic, especially if they experienced increased stress. “When we digest alcohol, it’s digested with an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase,” Sutton said. And of course, women who drink while pregnant put their children at risk of physical, mental, and behavioral problems.

Men born in the early 1900s were three times as likely as women to drink in problematic ways; today, women are almost as likely as men to do so. Female college students now binge drink more than male college students do. Studies show that women start to have alcohol-related problems sooner and at lower drinking amounts than men and for multiple reasons.3  On average, women weigh less than men.

In addition, certain individuals should avoid alcohol completely, particularly those who experience facial flushing and dizziness when drinking alcohol. Also in this category are older adults, anyone planning to drive a vehicle or operate machinery, and individuals who participate in activities that require skill, coordination, and alertness. If you suspect that you or someone you know may have a drinking problem, consult with a health care provider.