Women more vulnerable to Alcohol-related Diseases

A team of researchers at the University of Texas believe they understand why alcohol has a more pronounced effect on women and why they are more vulnerable to alcohol-related diseases.

Women's bodies are less able to break down alcohol, so when men and women drink equal quantities of alcohol, women develop higher blood alcohol levels.

Alcohol is normally broken down by enzymes in the stomach and dispersed throughout the body. However, alcohol cannot be dispersed in fatty tissue. According to the researchers, women's bodies tend to be smaller and to have a higher proportion of fatty tissue, so alcohol in the blood is less easily diluted. In addition, the enzymes in the stomach which break alcohol down are less active in women than men.

Research suggests the level of alcohol required to produce cirrhosis of the liver is 2-3 times lower for women than men.

Friday, 4 May 2001