HJNO May/Jun 2019

50 MAY / JUN 2019 I  Healthcare Journal of new orleans Jeré Hales Chief Operating Officer Lambeth House You’ve likelynoticed theads. They introduce honey or maple infused, fizzy, fruity concoctions that appeal to many women, now neatly packaged andmarketed to the female buyer. They speak to the daily stresses of women and whisper assurance that their version of your favorite low-calo- rie, guilt-free cocktail (think Skinny Girl) can soothe these tensions, all while allowing a female to remain glamorous, feminine, and thin. They show attractive women at bars drinking toe-to-toe withmen or ending their stressful day in the same way that men his- torically have. The only issue is that while the gender gap is narrowing, not all is cre- ated equal when it comes to the effects of alcohol on women relative to men. There are notable differences, particularly as it pertains to women 65 and older, leaving them more at risk for alcohol misuse and its consequences. According to the National Institute onAl- cohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA), older women have physical risk factors that neg- atively impact the way alcohol is metabo- lized in their bodies. As we age, changes in the central nervous system and in the liver enzymes that metabolize alcohol occur for both genders, resulting in a greater sensitivi- ty to the effects of alcohol. However, women have less lean muscle mass than men. For older women, age-related decreases inmus- cle relative to their total fat volume affects the way alcohol is distributed and processed column  Senior Health in their bodies. Upon drinking equal quanti- ties of an alcoholic beverage, a woman will experience higher blood concentrations and experience a more immediate reaction to the alcohol than men. Differences in the chemistry and body composition of wom- en cause them to be more sensitive to the effects of alcohol. In addition to physical differences, there are also social aspects unique to older wom- en, leaving themat higher risk of alcohol use or misuse. Since life expectancy is longer for women, many outlive their spouses. Many older women live alone and some have fi- nancial concerns regarding retirement re- sources. There is speculation that these is- sues play a part inwhy older women seem to be consumingmore alcohol than in the past. Astudy from researchers at the National In- stitute of Health indicated a general uptick in drinking among adults 60 and older, and that the rate was rising faster among older women than men in the same age group. Data from the study also confirmed that binge drinking in particular increased for older women, while remaining stable for older men. The NIAAdefines binge drinking as consumption of four drinks for women and five drinks for men within a two-hour time period. There is lots of speculation on why older women are drinkingmore and why they are binge drinking. Some researchers suspect that the Baby Boomers, who tended to drink Flashy Marketing Fails to capture the big picture: The Effects of Alcohol on Older Women more in their youth than previous genera- tions, have simply continued their propen- sity to drink into elderhood. Others hold to the idea that grief and loneliness play an in- tegral part. Of course, no one can ignore the power of slickmarketing used by the alcohol industry to target women inmuch the same way that the tobacco industry did decades ago. They not only glamorize drinking, they effectively normalize it for women. Finally, worthy of discussion are the differences in the way alcohol affects the health of women versus that of men. Ac- cording to the Center for Disease Control, women are more susceptible than men to the damaging effects that alcohol has on the brain and memory; the risk for acquiring an alcohol-related liver disease is higher among women thanmen; and, women who are heavy drinkers are more prone to heart muscle damage thanmen—even for women who drink at lower levels. No matter how you slice it, alcohol use in an older female is different, and the con- sequences for excessive drinking are high. Symptoms related to alcohol misuse may mimic those of aging or chronic health issues, leaving this cohort especially vul- nerable. There is great need for research to better identify effective screening, preven- tion, and treatment plans for this frequently overlooked group. n Last year, Jane Walker, the female branded version of Johnnie Walker Scotch Whiskey, was rolled out amid the myriad of other advertisements created to target female consumers.