ALCOHOL AND YOUR HEALTH, PART 2: EFFECTS ON WOMEN
One group more vulnerable to alcohol than others is women. According to the National Institutes of Heath, “Women react differently than men to alcohol and face higher risks from it.”
Historically, the patterns of drinking have varied between the two sexes. Compared to males, female drunkenness and disorderly behavior are less commonly encountered but reports of women arrested for driving intoxicated have increased. Women may resort to drinking because of domestic abuse and violence.
In recent years, women’s alcohol consumption has been catching up with men, especially in the younger age group. In contemporary society, it’s fashionable for women to drink especially during parties or informal gatherings. “Among women who drink 13 percent have more than seven drinks per week” as per NIH. This level of drinking for women is above the recommended limits published in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans issued by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
From a medical standpoint, women seem to develop alcohol-related problems at lower drinking levels than men. The main reason for the disparity is that “pound for pound women have less water in their bodies than men.” Once ingested, alcohol primarily resides in the body water and so with less body water on board it will exert a stronger effect on tissues.
These are some of the specific health problems that affect women:
-
Alcoholic liver disease: Women drinkers are more likely to develop inflammatory liver disease called “alcoholic hepatitis” which with continuous insult from alcohol will progress to cirrhosis of the liver and lead to death.
-
Cancer: Many studies have linked heavy drinking to certain cancers such as breast and liver cancer. Lighter or occasional drinking may not lead to cancer but once a person had cancer and recovered from it, the general recommendation is not to indulge in alcohol. Alcohol is also linked to cancers of the digestive tract and of the head and neck (the risk is especially high in smokers who also drink heavily).
-
Heart disease: Chronic heavy drinking is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease. Among heavy drinkers, women are more susceptible to alcohol-related heart disease, even though women drink less over a lifetime than men.
-
Brain disease: Most alcoholics have some loss of mental function, reduced brain size, and changes in the function of brain cells. Research suggests that women are more vulnerable than men to alcohol-induced brain damage.
-
Violence: Heavy drinking also increases a woman’s risk of becoming a victim of violence and sexual assault. We have heard stories of teenage drinking parties in college dorms where women get assaulted.
-
Susceptibility: Drinking over the long term is more likely to damage a woman’s health than a man’s, even if the woman has been drinking less alcohol or for a shorter period than the man. It may not be fair but that’s how the biology of our body works.
-
Alcohol and smoking: Sadly alcohol and smoking go together and it is a very bad combination since both individually lead to considerable damage to the body and combined the adverse effects are severe.
Pregnancy and drinking
Any drinking during pregnancy is risky. Considerable damage is done to the unborn fetus for which there is no specific treatment. The symptoms of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders include facial abnormalities, growth deficiencies, skeletal and organ deformities, central nervous system handicaps and behavioral problems in later life. These children finally end up with small body size and growth. Many of them also have heart defects and brain defects leading to chronic severe disability. Pregnant women who drink also have more miscarriages and stillbirths and are at higher risk for premature birth. So, stay away from alcohol if you think you are pregnant.
Alcohol is a “bewitching” poison when used in excess and its effect on health, productivity, creativity and law and order are well-documented. Alcohol in moderation – no more than one drink per day for women and ideally about the same but no more than two per day for men – seem to be well tolerated. I recommend only wine for regular use. And if you don’t drink now don’t start.
M.P. Ravindra Nathan M.D. is a cardiologist and Emeritus Editor of AAPI Journal. His book, “Stories From My Heart,” was recently released. (www.amazon.com or www.bn.com.)
Eye Care
DIABETES CAN BE A SILENT THIEF OF EYESIGHT
One of the leading causes of blindness in the age group of 20 to 75 is diabetes.
Of all aspects of vision that can be affected by diabetes, cataracts, glaucoma and retinopathy are the most common, and November is American Diabetes Month.
Cataracts occurs when your crystalline lens becomes cloudy and then then needs to be removed. Diabetes can accelerate age-related cataracts as well as cause cataracts in young people because of a malfunctioning biochemical system in the eye.
Glaucoma is commonly associated with diabetes and involves high to normal pressure but progressive field of vision loss. It can be a silent vision stealer since you may still see 20/20 centrally.
Medications can effectively control glaucoma. Laser and surgical techniques also can bring it under control though with minimal chances of reversing already caused damage.
People with diabetes are also more likely to get an uncommon type of glaucoma, called neovascular glaucoma. In this form of glaucoma new blood vessels grow on the iris, the colored part of the eye. These blood vessels block the normal flow of fluid out of the eye, raising the eye pressure. This is difficult to treat and may require shunt surgery.
Diabetic retinopathy is a collective term for a spectrum of retinal problems ranging from mild to severe and represents the leading cause of irreversible blindness among people in industrialized nations. The duration of diabetes is the single-most important risk for developing retinopathy. So the longer you have diabetes, the greater the risk of this very serious eye problem.
People with type 1 diabetes rarely develop retinopathy before puberty. The DCCT, a large study of people with type 1 diabetes showed that people with diabetes who achieved tight control of their blood sugars with either an insulin pump or multiple daily injections of insulin were 50 to 75 percent less likely to develop retinopathy, nephropathy (kidney disease), or nerve damage (all microvascular, or small blood vessel, complications).
People with type 2 diabetes usually have signs of eye problems when diabetes is diagnosed. In this case, control of blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol play an important role in slowing the progression of retinopathy and other eye problems.
In summary then, if you have eye problems such as blurred vision and are diabetic, don't presume it may be a change in glasses. It could just be a temporary eye problem that develops rapidly with diabetes and caused by high blood sugar levels.
Regular visits to your eye doctor are important to avoid eye problems. In fact, close sugar control with your physician is very important as the eye is an innocent bystander in the onslaught of diabetes.
Arun C. Guliani M.D., M.S. is director and chief surgeon of Gulani Vision Institute in Jacksonville. He can be reached at gulaini[email protected] or by visiting www.gulanivision.com.