Many studies have revealed that addiction among women is different than the male population. Alcohol affects women differently than men, which is widely accepted, but now a German report is indicating that alcohol can be an even larger issue for women who are struggling with addiction, as it is twice as deadly for women as it is for their male counterparts.

This was a long-running study, started in 1996, to track the death rate among alcohol-dependent women. The results showed that the death rate for this population was more than four times higher than for women who are not struggling with , alcoholism. The death rate for alcoholic men was only twice the rate of the general population. A 200 percent higher death rate is nothing to laugh at, but it doesn’t reach the female gap of a staggering 400 percent. In general, people that do not seek for alcohol addiction recovery typically die about 20 years younger than members of the general population.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has long since noticed these differences and they are reflected in dietary guidelines. These guidelines classify heavy drinking for a woman (in the general population) as more than three drinks on a given day or more than seven in a week. For men, it’s four drinks in a day and up to 14 in a week. However, for those addicted to alcohol, one drink is too many.

Turns out it may be the make up of our bodies. In addition to typically being larger than women, men have more water in their bodies and less fat. Water dilutes liquids like alcohol while fat traps them in the body. This means that a woman who drinks the same amount as the average guy will likely face more health issues, become more easily dependent, and are prone to more hospitalizations than that of a man. Although it is crucial for addicts of any gender to seek help as soon as possible, it is also important that women understand the increased health risks they face.

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