Sex-related differences among 100 patients with alcoholic liver disease.

During 1975 we studied 100 patients--77 men and 23 women--who had a history of alcohol abuse and disturbed liver function test results. On presentation the women were less likely to be suspected of alcohol abuse (9; 38%) than the men (59; 77%). Although the quantity of alcohol consumed and length of history of alcohol abuse were similar for men and women, the incidence of chronic advanced liver disease was higher among women (86%) than among men (65%). Women, however, were less likely to have developed primary liver cell cancer. Overall the women had a higher incidence of other alcohol-related disorders and were less likely to stop abusing alcohol (2; 9%) than were their male counterparts (22; 29%). Women seem to be more susceptible to alcohol-related disease.