Alcohol is a psychoactive substance with dependence-producing properties that has been widely used in many cultures for centuries. Alcohol consumption may be a causal factor in more than 200 diseases, injuries and other health conditions. Drinking alcohol is related to a risk of developing health problems such as mental and behavioural disorders, including alcohol dependence, and major noncommunicable diseases like liver cirrhosis, some cancers and cardiovascular diseases.
Women absorb and metabolise alcohol differently than men, they're more susceptible to the negative physical consequences of alcohol.
Physical health is adversely impacted by heavy drinking, including risks for hypertension, cancer, stroke, disease, and alcohol-impaired accidents. Because women absorb and metabolise alcohol differently than men, they're more susceptible to the negative physical consequences of alcohol, including disease, heart condition, and cognitive impairment. it's estimated that one-third of breast cancer cases could be prevented if women did not drink alcohol, were physically active, and maintained a healthy weight.
Alcohol use can negatively affect the psychological state. Women have twice the danger as men for depression and anxiety, and heavy alcohol use exacerbates depression, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms.
Complications:
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) may be a chronic relapsing brain disorder characterised by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences. Women who regularly misuse alcohol are more likely than men who drink the identical amount to develop alcoholic hepatitis, a potentially fatal alcohol-related liver condition. This pattern of drinking also can lead to cirrhosis (permanent liver scarring). Long-term alcohol misuse may be a leading cause of heart disease. Women are more vulnerable to alcohol-related heart disease than men, although they may consume less alcohol over their lifetime than men. Can we divide the impacts into both physical as well as mental health?
Risk factors:
Among married women, peer/spouse pressure, depression, and stress are the danger factors for alcohol consumption. Whereas among adolescent girls school problems, family environment, and behaviour problems cause alcohol consumption.
Prevention:
You can prevent alcohol use disorder by limiting your alcohol intake. The 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise adults of legal drinking age to choose not to drink or to drink in moderation by keeping intake to 2 drinks or less for males and 1 drink or less for women on days when alcohol is taken. This lowers the risk of alcohol-related hazards.
References:
Edith S. Lisansky Gomberg et al (1994), Risk Factors for Drinking Over a Woman’s Life Span, Alcohol health and research world, 18(3): 220–227, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6876402/
https://www.healthline.com/health/alcoholism/basics#prevention
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