German scientists have conducted a brain-scan study and found that women can become addicted to alcohol faster and suffer brain damage from it quicker than men.
“Women have generally not been considered in brain-imaging studies, or samples have not been large enough to differentiate between women and men,” said study author Karl Mann. “Conversely, male patients with alcohol dependence have historically been easier to recruit because the majority of alcoholic patients are male and the first evaluations of larger samples were carried out in soldiers.”
“Furthermore, study results were thought to be generally applicable to both genders,” added Mann. “Yet gender differences in the development, course and consequences of alcohol dependence have to be considered in early diagnosis as this probably will lead to different therapeutic strategies.”
The study was conducted at the University of Heidelberg. 158 people including 76 alcoholics and 82 healthy people, volunteered to have their brains scanned for the study. BBC News explains:
Women who were heavy drinkers lost the same amount of brain volume as the drinking men, but over a much shorter period of alcohol dependence.
Lead author Professor Karl Mann said although men generally drink more alcohol, women probably develop alcohol dependence and adverse consequences more readily.
“Not only is the prevalence of alcoholism somewhat higher in men than women, thus increasing the chances of recruiting men over women in research programs,” said Professor Edith Sullivan, from Stanford University School of Medicine. “but some speculate that women, with household and motherly responsibilities, have greater difficulty in finding time to participate in studies.”
Mr. Mann also noted that other alcohol-related disorders like heart problems, depression and liver disease, occur earlier in women than in men. He said that it is important for women to be treated for alcohol abuse early.
Chris is a staff writer for murdok. Visit murdok for the latest ebusiness news.
