Women
are far more vulnerable to alcohol-induced brain damage than
men, scans have shown.
CT
pictures of the brains of more than 150 volunteers revealed
how women come to more harm and quicker than men when they
drink heavily.
Scientists have suspected for some time that men might be
more resilient to booze than women. The German research gives
visible evidence of this.
"Experts
warn more and more women are taking up drinking."
The
University of Heidelberg team published their findings in
Alcoholism.
"Women
may be more vulnerable to chronic alcohol consumption"
--- Study author Professor Karl Mann
In
the study, around half of the volunteers were alcoholics.
All of the volunteers had brain scans at the start and end
of the six week study.
Those who were alcoholic were helped to "dry out" during the
six weeks.
When the researchers analysed the brain scan results they
found obvious evidence of brain damage among the heavy drinkers.
The drinkers had smaller brains, due to loss or atrophy, than
the controls.
Brain loss
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 are probably develop alcohol dependence
and adverse consequences more readily.
Other alcohol-related disorders, such as heart problems, depression
and liver disease, also occurred earlier in women than men,
he said.
"Women typically start drinking later in life, consume less...and
one could reason that women are less affected by alcohol.
"But there is evidence for a faster progress of the events
leading to dependence among female alcoholics and an earlier
onset of adverse consequences of alcoholism.
"This suggests that women may be more vulnerable to chronic
alcohol consumption."
For these reasons, he said it was even more important to spot
and treat alcohol abuse early in women.
A spokesman from the Institute of Alcohol Studies said: "This
study supports previous findings that women experience many
alcohol-related harms before men at the same level of drinking.
"These results are particularly concerning given the rising
alcohol consumption in UK women, and the increased risk of
alcohol dependence that goes with it.
"This worryingly suggests that alcohol-related damage experienced
by women in the UK is set to increase rapidly in the coming
years."
Women
are far more vulnerable to alcohol-induced brain damage than
men, scans have shown.
