Clinicians and Academics (and their daughters) from Southern Health, UHS and the University of Southampton are taking part in a women only 40km cycle ride to raise awareness of the health risks of alcohol for women. As well as raising awareness we are also raising money for聽two local charities who are trying to address this need:
鈥⒙犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅� 聽Options Health and Wellbeing Trust
鈥⒙犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅� Parent Support Link
The Wessex Alcohol Research Collaborative (WARC) 聽 is supporting the team as part of a series of events to get alcohol back on the health agenda in the Wessex Region.
Because of the way alcohol is dealt with by the body, women are at particular risk of alcohol related harm at lower levels than men. Rates of alcohol related liver disease are increasing faster in young women than in any other group.
The long-term effects of drinking too much alcohol are widely recognised, and include faster ageing, increased blood pressure, greater risk of cancer, heart disease and stroke, plus osteoporosis and liver disease. A recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that a drink a day increases risk of breast cancer in women by 20 per cent, while regularly binge-drinking raises this to 40 per cent.
Women are also particularly prone to the depressant effects of alcohol聽 and many women who are drinking聽 at increased risk levels and who are also depressed are advised that by reducing (or stopping) alcohol is likely to substantially improve their mood and energy levels. Locally we have no designated services to help women address their specific needs around alcohol and it is frequently not dealt with when they present with other health conditions.
The event is on Sunday聽13 October starting at Beaulieu.
For more details see: 聽and WARC website