Organ Damage: Compared to men, women experience significantly shorter intervals between their first use of alcohol and onset of significant alcohol-related problems. Whereas men usually experience alcohol-related problems after 10-12 years of use, women on average experience problems within 5-7 years of use. This accelerated course is known as “telescoping”.
Breast Cancer: Alcohol consumption is consistently associated with the risk of breast cancer. Alcohol increases the levels of estrogen and other hormones associated with hormone-receptors. Alcohol also may increase breast cancer risk by damaging DNA in cells. Researchers now state “there is no safe amount of alcohol” and women who have a history of breast cancer in their family should limit their use to 1-2 drinks per week, while women who have or have had breast cancer should not be drinking at all.
Liver Damage: Women are more affected by liver disease from alcohol, have an increased prevalence of acute liver failure, and suffer liver disease such as hepatitis and cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver. Statistics indicate there is an uptick of “epidemic proportions” of women 18-25 diagnosed with liver disease – thinking this is a disease of older alcoholics. Many young people have no knowledge of alcohol’s effect. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of cirrhosis of the liver may not be made until autopsy.
The Brain: Women have received little attention in the research to date. Evidence now indicates that many of the behavioural aspects of the effect of alcohol progress more rapidly among women than among men, and women are more vulnerable to alcohol-induced brain damage than men. Using MRI images, researchers found that regions of the brain involved in coordinating multiple brain functions are significantly affected. Alcohol affects short-term memory functions, so information is not transferred to long-term memory banks. It is not a question of not remembering – the information is not available to retrieve. Alcohol also affects the nerve cells in the brain, interfering with the cells’ function and how they communicate with other cells.
