Researchers have known that alcohol dependency disorder affects men and women differently, making it essential to have tailored treatment approaches. A recent study has shed light on the underlying mechanisms of these gender differences, suggesting that hormonal and biochemical factors play a crucial role in shaping patterns of alcohol use and dependence.
“This is the first large study to confirm that some of the variability in Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and related problems is associated with particular combinations of hormones and chemical biomarkers in men and in women. It may mean that sex-specific treatments can be tailored to improve responses for men and women with alcohol problems,” said lead researcher Victor Karpyak in a news release.
The researchers analyzed hormonal and protein markers in 268 men and 132 women with Alcohol Use Disorder at the start of the study, before the participants took any treatment. They tested for various sex-specific blood markers, including sex hormones like testosterone, estrogens, and progesterone, as well as proteins that affect reproductive health, such as follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone.
They also measured proteins that influence hormone availability in the blood, like albumin and sex hormone-binding globulin. After this assessment, the researchers correlated the biological markers with psychological factors, including symptoms of depression, anxiety, cravings, alcohol consumption, and treatment outcomes over the first three months of therapy.
At the start of the study, the researchers noted that men with Alcohol Use Disorder who experienced more symptoms of depression and stronger cravings for alcohol had lower levels of the hormones testosterone, estrone, and estradiol, along with lower levels of a protein called sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). However, this connection between hormones and psychological symptoms was not seen in women with Alcohol Use Disorder.
“We found that there were different associations in men and women. For example, women who had higher levels of testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, and albumin were also more likely to relapse during the first three months of treatment compared to women with lower levels of those biochemical markers. No such relationships were found in men,” Professor Karpyak said.
Experts suggest that the study findings provide significant insight into the relationship between sex hormones and alcohol use disorder treatment.
“While sex differences in the way the disorder manifests itself are known, these results suggest that sex hormones may modulate treatment response, potentially supporting sex-specific pharmacological intervention. However, hormone fluctuations related to the menstrual cycle are also potential modulators of alcohol misuse, warranting further investigation into their role in treatment and relapse outcomes for female patients,” Dr. Erika Comasco, Associate Professor in Molecular Psychiatry, from the Uppsala University, Sweden, who was not involved in the study said.