The number of women ages 40 to 64 seen at a hospital because of alcohol misuse nearly doubled during the pandemic, according to a new study.

During 10 months between April 2020 and September 2021, complications of alcohol-related disease rose by 33% to 56% among middle-aged women compared with pre-pandemic times, said first author Dr. Bryant Shuey, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.

“Drinking has increased in the last decade among women, particularly during the pandemic, in comparison to men,” Shuey said. “That uptick in drinking is likely contributing to the really serious alcohol-related liver disease, mood disorders, alcohol withdrawal problems and heart and gastric concerns we found in our study.”

Research shows the rate of women ages 35 to 50 having five or more drinks in a row rose twice as fast as men over the last decade. That trend appeared to worsen during the pandemic, with a 41% increase in heavy drinking days among women.

Alcohol abuse sent nearly twice as many women to the hospital during pandemic, study finds | CNN