Why are the recommended drinking limits lower for some patients?
The limits are lower for women because they have proportionally less body water than men do and thus achieve higher blood alcohol concentrations after drinking the same amount of alcohol. Older adults also have less lean body mass and greater sensitivity to alcohol’s effects. In addition, there are many clinical situations where abstinence or lower limits are indicated, because of a greater risk of harm associated with drinking. Examples include women who are or may become pregnant, patients taking medications that may interact with alcohol, young people with a family history of alcohol dependence, and patients with physical or psychiatric conditions that are caused by or exacerbated by alcohol.
The limits are lower for women because they have proportionally less body water than men do and thus achieve higher blood alcohol concentrations after drinking the same amount of alcohol. Older adults also have less lean body mass and greater sensitivity to alcohol’s effects. In addition, there are many clinical situations where abstinence or lower limits are indicated because of a greater risk of harm associated with drinking. Examples include women who are or may become pregnant, patients taking medications that may interact with alcohol, young people with a family history of alcohol dependence, and patients with physical or psychiatric conditions that are caused by or exacerbated by alcohol.
