Addiction ; Alcoholism ; Gender ; Sex ; Female ; Women
Abstract
Prevalence of substance-related disorders has been consistently higher in men population, especially
in alcohol-related disorder. However, recent epidemiological surveys suggest that the gap between
men and women has narrowed. Women become intoxicated after drinking smaller quantities
of alcohol than men. This may be due to less total body water, small amount of gastric alcohol dehydrogenase,
and slower gastric emptying time. Chronic alcohol use is associated with alcoholic
liver disease, breast cancer, obstetric complications, and osteoporosis in women, even though relatively
short and less consumption. Alcohol has enormous effect on neuroendocrine and neurotransmitter
system; there also are gender differences at molecular level. But, their implications in dependence
are not yet clear. The studies of brain atrophy in alcohol dependence are consistent with greater
sensitivity to alcohol neurotoxicity among women. The interval between the age of first drinking and
treatment-seeking seems to be shorter for women than for men. But, there’s no gender difference for
long term relapse rate. Moreover, it is unclear whether gender-specific treatments are superior. Fetal
alcohol spectrum disorder is another gender-specific issue. Especially in women of childbearing age,
alcohol use is associated with spontaneous abortion, birth defect, delayed development, and cognitive
and emotional problems of offspring.