Effects of alcohol abuse and familial alcoholism on physical health in men and women.
Detoxified alcoholic men (n = 76) and women (n = 72) and nonalcoholic control men (n = 50) and women (n = 51) were given a structured interview that assessed five categories of physical health: medical history, alcohol-related disorders, trauma history, drug use history, and, for females, female-related disorders. Approximately half the subjects in each group were family history positive for alcoholism. Significant differences between alcoholics and controls were found for all five categories; family history effects were significant for four of the five categories, and sex differences were present in two categories. The results indicate that (a) alcoholics suffer pervasive physical health difficulties, (b) a family history of alcoholism is predictive of health problems in both alcoholics and controls, (c) the effects of alcohol abuse and family history of alcoholism on health appear to be independent and additive, and (d) women may be more "illness prone" than men and exhibit an increased vulnerability to the adverse effects of alcoholism.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City 73104.
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Glenn
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Parsons
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Stevens
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012803:Sick Role; D012917:Social Adjustment; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000523:psychology