Alcohol Affects Men and Women Differently

“Battle of the sexes” seems to peek its competitive head into a myriad of social situations. Boys tend to think they’re better, faster, and stronger than girls and girls always try to prove them wrong.

This seems to hold exceptionally true in the world of alcohol abuse. In a night out with friends have you ever tried to keep up with your boyfriend or guy friend in drinks consumed; maybe egged on by his, “I can drink you under the table,” challenge?

What many don’t realize, or refuse to accept, is that alcohol abuse affects men and women differently. While gender differences in alcoholism have mainly been attributed to differences in size and body composition, a new study has suggested that genes may also play a role in the way men and women react to alcohol. More specifically, there are two genes, ADH1B and ALDH2, whose presence increases the risk for alcoholism; yet are different in the way the effect men and women and how they affect risk. For example, an inactive ALDH2 gene actually delays the development of alcoholism among men, but it may actually accelerate it in women.

Study researcher Mitsuru Kimura, MD, PhD, of the Kurihama Alcoholism Center in Kanagawa, Japan believes that the study results suggest that these new findings may be helpful in predicting the course of alcohol dependence. However, regardless of your gender, it is important to be aware of the dangers of alcohol abuse and the harm that it can cause.

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