Advanced Search
Current and Breaking News for Professionals, Consumers and Media




Women's Health Author: Harvard Mental Health Letter Last Updated: Sep 7, 2017 - 10:10:41 PM



Women Face Tough Challenges in Overcoming Addiction

By Harvard Mental Health Letter
Jan 11, 2010 - 12:14:11 PM



Email Newsletter icon, E-mail Newsletter icon, Email List icon, E-mail List icon Sign up for our Ezine
For Email Marketing you can trust


Email this article
 Printer friendly page
(HealthNewsDigest.com) - BOSTON—Women often find it harder than men to recover from addictions, reports the January 2010 issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter.

They face other challenges as well. Women tend to progress more quickly than men from use of an addictive substance to dependence on it (a phenomenon known as telescoping). They also develop medical or social consequences of addiction faster than men, and are more susceptible to relapse after quitting.

Take tobacco use as one example. Nearly 71 million Americans—about 35% of men and 23% of women—currently smoke. Women who smoke are more likely than men to develop lung cancer, and they’re twice as likely to have a heart attack. But women find it more difficult than men to kick the habit, and are more likely to start smoking again if they do manage to quit.

The reasons for these gender differences are not clear. Some studies have found that women are more likely than men to smoke in response to environmental cues and triggers, while men are more responsive to nicotine (the addictive element in tobacco). This may explain why nicotine replacement therapy appears not to work as well in women as it does in men.

Other research suggests that kicking the habit is especially tough for women during the menstrual cycle’s luteal phase (which begins just after ovulation). Women who time their quit dates to occur during the follicular phase (which begins after menstruation and ends at ovulation) have a better chance of stopping smoking.

Dr. Michael Miller, editor in chief of the Harvard Mental Health Letter, notes that a better appreciation of gender differences in addiction might help identify ways to tailor treatment for women and increase their chances of recovery.

Subscribe to our FREE Ezine and be eligible for Health News, discounted products/services and coupons related to your Health. We publish 24/7.
HealthNewsDigest.com
We videotape Press Conferences, produce Satellite MediaTour's, B-rolls, PSA's, - all with distribution: HealthyTelevisionProductions


Top of Page

HealthNewsDigest.com

Women's Health
Latest Headlines


+ Frozen Eggs More Efficient Option than IVF for Women Starting Families
+ Females 1.5x More Likely Than Men to Wake Up Feeling Tired
+ Pregnant Women’s Alcohol Use is Linked to Partners’ Intake
+ Impact of Menopause and Other Health Issues on Older Women’s Sex Lives
+ Detect Common Fungicide in Pregnant Women and Children
+ Women’s Health and Living a Longer, Healthier Life
+ Women Should Know About Osteoporosis Risk
+ Women’s Treatments for National Women’s Health Week
+ Stress Poses Heart Health Problems for Women
+ 2 Out of 3 Women with Depression or Anxiety Say They Have Reached Their 'Breaking Point'



Contact Us | Job Listings | Help | Site Map | About Us
Advertising Information | HND Press Release | Submit Information | Disclaimer

Site hosted by Sanchez Productions