Women and Alcohol: Risks, Benefits and Why We’re Different Center for Women’s Health

Gender-specific results from the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) suggested that among persons with AUD in the past year, only 7.4% of men and 5.4% of women received treatment (SAMHSA, 2015). Thus, women with alcohol disorders appear to be under-represented in specialty alcohol and drug treatment facilities, despite having a shorter interval between drinking initiation and treatment entry (Alvanzo et al, 2014). In part, this may reflect that women are more likely to seek care in non-substance abuse settings, particularly primary care and mental health settings, where their drinking problems may not be recognized (Brienza and Stein, 2002). Thus, alcohol screening, brief intervention and referral for specialty treatment as needed is critical across health care settings, including primary care and mental health services, particularly for women.

1. And when compared to women who either don’t drink or drink in moderation, women who drink heavily are also at increased risk of developing breast cancer, osteoporosis, heart disease and reproductive issues, including infertility.
2. As evidenced by these articles, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has successfully targeted many of these areas for support in recent years, yet much remains to be learned as we confront the rapidly changing characteristics of women’s alcohol misuse and harms.
3. What was previously a 3-1 ratio for risky drinking habits in men versus women is closer to 1-to-1 globally, a 2016 analysis of several dozen studies suggested.
4. Yet limited evidence on the matter was available, because many studies on the outcome of substance abuse treatment conducted before the 1990s enrolled only men.
5. But most of the deaths reflect the toll from longer-term consumption, Karaye says, including from its eventual impact on the liver, the pancreas, or heart.

For someone who’s otherwise healthy, the cardiovascular risk was still “fairly modest” at low levels of alcohol consumption — one drink a day or less — but it escalated exponentially beyond that amount, he noted. People who had three or more drinks per day had several-fold increases in risk, the investigation found. It’s true that when you group people by how much they drink, those who imbibe light to moderate amounts of alcohol appear to have lower rates of heart disease compared to others, he noted. Women have increased their alcohol consumption at a higher rate than men, particularly their heavy drinking days — those when they have four or more drinks within a couple hours, she noted. Some experts believe that women who drink even one alcoholic drink per day may be putting themselves at increased risk for health problems.

Each year in the U.S. alone, about 40,000 babies—or one in every 100—are born with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (a term that encompasses fetal alcohol syndrome and several related disorders). These biological factors explain why women become intoxicated after drinking less and are more likely to suffer adverse consequences after drinking smaller quantities and for fewer years than men. Women have lower levels of two enzymes—alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase—that metabolize (break down) alcohol in the stomach and liver. Several biological factors make women more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol than men. Women are more likely than men to suffer alcohol-induced brain damage, such as loss of mental function and reduced brain size.

Short Takes With NIAAA: Do You Know the Facts About Women and Alcohol?

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — n independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. When it comes to alcohol, as is the case with many things in life, practicing moderation is key. The NIAAA’s Rethinking Drinking hub offers great resources for questions about drinking patterns, how much is too much, and how to recognize signs of a drinking problem. KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism. “Women who have fewer years of alcohol use compared to men have more of these physical consequences. So essentially they’re getting sicker faster than men from alcohol,” Sugarman told TODAY.

What alcohol does to a woman’s body

After menopause, hormone changes increase the risk of coronary artery disease, but many have considered risk low for younger women. Young and middle-aged women who average more than one alcoholic beverage a day are more likely to develop coronary heart disease than peers who drink less, according to a new study that will be presented in April at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session. But over the past two decades, the research concluded, the risk is escalating for both childless women and mothers.

Alcohol Treatment Services for Women

Women are catching up to men when it comes to alcohol consumption –and according to most experts, this isn’t a gender gap we want to close. “There needs to be just more overall public awareness of the concerns around women’s drinking, and I don’t think we’re there yet,” Sugarman said. The research is especially timely, as Americans have been drinking more alcohol since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, a habit that can have deadly consequences. That nightly glass (or more) of wine many people rely on to relax at the end of the day is getting new scrutiny from health experts — especially if you’re a woman.

“Parenthood tended to be this protective factor,” but that’s not always the case anymore, said Adams, who studies addiction. “Parenthood tended to be this protective factor,” but that’s not always the case anymore, said Adams, who studies addiction. Changes in hormone levels during the menstrual cycle may also affect how a woman metabolizes alcohol. BetterHelp is an online therapy service that matches you to licensed, accredited therapists who can help with depression, anxiety, relationships, and more. Take the assessment and get matched with a therapist in as little as 48 hours.

This means that after a woman and a man of the same weight drink the same amount of alcohol, the woman’s blood alcohol concentration (the amount of alcohol in the blood) will tend to be higher, putting her at greater risk for harm. For example, research suggests that women are more likely than men to experience hangovers and alcohol-induced blackouts at comparable doses of alcohol.5,6 Other biological drug addiction substance use disorder diagnosis and treatment differences may contribute as well. While that risk is especially high among binge drinkers, whether men or women, the researchers find the link between alcohol and heart disease particularly strong for women. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines low-risk drinking for women as no more than seven drinks a week and no more than three on any given day.

Last year, the global nonprofit World Heart Federation challenged the widely held notion that a daily glass of red wine is good for you. Any amount increases the risk for heart disease, stroke, and aneurysms, the group stated. Monitoring Risk Currently, healthcare providers rely on self-reporting to assess a person’s risk for aa meetings: what they are types and format schedule alcohol abuse, a process that Dr. Grant says is subjective. “The reality is that alcohol impairs memory, that many people don’t understand what defines a standard drink or they don’t want to disclose what they drink” she adds. But women are also frequently the focus of gender-targeted advertising for alcoholic beverages.

While alcohol misuse by anyone presents serious public health concerns, women who drink have a higher risk of certain alcohol-related problems compared to men. Some individuals should avoid alcohol completely, such as those who are pregnant or might be pregnant. According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, mounting evidence suggests that women are at higher risk for some of alcohol’s negative effects, such as liver disease, cardiovascular disease and neurotoxicity.