Different Drinking Patterns for Women and Men with Alcohol Dependence with and without Alcoholic Cirrhosis
Alcohol and Alcoholism Advance Access published online on October 17, 2007




The aim of our study was to investigate if there were differences in drinking patterns in patients with alcohol dependence (AD), with or without cirrhosis.

Women drank less than men. Women with AC reported 9,198 drinks as binge drinking compared to 25,890 drinks for women with AD without liver cirrhosis , Women with AC reported 14,009 drinks of alcohol consumed during their lifetime compared to 45,658 drinks consumed by men with AC . Women with AD had drunk 5.8 DDD, and men had 8.5 DDD . Both women and men with AC had significantly fewer DDD compared to men and women with AD without cirrhosis, 4.4 drinks for women and 6.2 for men with AC.

Patients with AC seem to be predisposed to the hepatotoxic effects of alcohol- and the affected women seem to be even more sensitized. Binge drinking, rather than continuous drinking, does not seem to be especially associated with the development of cirrhosis. That women had drunk less alcohol during binge drinking further emphasizes this.

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Request Reprint E-Mail:</sup> knut.stokkeland@hsf.gotland.se
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