Alcohol damages women's brains faster than men's

Nina 04-24-2007

The brain-damaging effects of alcohol strike women more quickly than men, a new study conducted in Russia confirms.Female alcoholics performed worse on a number of tests of neurocognitive function compared with males, Dr. Barbara Flannery from RTI International in Baltimore and her colleagues found.

However, Flannery cautioned in an interview with Reuters Health, the findings aren't good news for alcohol-dependent men. "Women are vulnerable to the extent to which they will experience the negative consequences of alcohol abuse and alcoholism more rapidly than men, but men will also experience it -- the same kinds of effects," she said.

Other physiological effects of alcoholism, such as heart and liver damage, are known to occur more quickly in women than in men, a phenomenon known as "telescoping," Flannery and her team note in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

To determine whether the same occurs in the brain, they had 78 alcoholic men and 24 alcoholic women, between the ages of 18 and 40, complete a series of brain function tests. Sixty-eight non-alcoholic men and women also took part in the study as a control group.

The duration of alcohol use was significantly longer for men than women, at about 15 and 11 years, respectively, as was the duration of alcohol dependence, at 8 and 5 years. A greater percentage of men were college educated and employed full time. However, women reported binge drinking significantly more often than men, at 91 percent vs. 72 percent.

Before completing the tests, all of the alcoholics had been abstinent from alcohol for three to four weeks.

Compared with the alcoholic men, the researchers found that alcoholic women performed worse on tests of visual working memory, cognitive flexibility, and spatial planning and problem solving.

Flannery pointed out that women metabolize alcohol differently than men do. A woman will experience the alcohol effects faster than a man of the same weight. One reason is that men have more water in their bodies, which better dilutes alcohol's effects. Women may also have less of an enzyme that converts alcohol into an inactive substance.

"I think it's important that women understand this," she said, and it's also important to remember that alcoholism is underdiagnosed in men and women. More studies should be done in different populations, she added, to confirm the results.

Wyntre

Yeah but alcohol makes men more stupid.....annoying....hostile....or counteract (a pussy)

it juss makes girls HELLA SEXAY!! ..... (& willing) TEE HEE

Nina

I think more women gets stupid from drinking. Guys do get very violent at times. But females loses all sense in there heads. How you think GGW started off?

Hsoolien

None of this suprises me, look at old drunk women compared to old drunk men, the woman are always WAY worse off

Wyntre

Exactly!
Willing

Sugarlipz

How embaressing about women being more damaged. I know its not their fault, but seriously. :| I hope that picture was an editorial shot and not a real pic. Its gross too see women spitting in public, and barefeet? I hate seeing women drink anyways. Its a turn off. GGW is a shame, but very entertaining too. lol!

Wyntre

BLASPHAMY!

Sugarlipz

lol, I also said that it is very entertaining too. Its a shame cuz those girls might regret it later. And the camera guy, who sees a billion tits and pussies tells every single one they are the hottest one with the nicest tits. One right after the other, and they're like "Aww!" Its like seriously girl, get some brains. By the way, on break.com there is a fat girls gone wild parody video. Highly recommended for a good laugh!

Wyntre

Hey Hey Hey....

There is nothing wrong with BBW!!!

Sugarlipz

Hell no! I love my big mama girl friends!

spawnschickishot

You Know I Alwys Wondered How I Got So Slow! And Now I Know!