Changes in excessive alcohol use among older women across the menopausal transition: a longitudinal analysis of the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation

BACKGROUND: Recent data suggest that excessive alcohol use is increasing among women and older adults.

Such trends are concerning, as women are more vulnerable to alcohol-related health consequences, and such health problems may be exacerbated with age.

Furthermore, there are sex-specific factors that may influence alcohol consumption among women, including the hormonal changes associated with the menopausal transition and negative affect.

The present study sought to investigate transitions in excessive drinking among women across the menopausal transition and included exploration of sex hormones (estradiol; testosterone) and depression.

METHODS: The present study utilized publicly available data from the Study of Women Across the Nation (SWAN) and included 3302 women (42–52 years old at baseline), who completed 10 years of annual assessments.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) criteria were used as guidance when defining excessive drinking within the present dataset.

At year 1, 170 women were identified as drinking excessively.

Random-effect logistic regressions were used to examine transitions in excessive drinking.

RESULTS: Women identified as excessive drinkers were more likely to transition to non-excessive drinking across all menopausal transition stages (ORs range = 3.71–5.11), while women were more likely to transition from non-excessive to excessive drinking during the early peri- and postmenopausal stages (OR = 1.52 and 1.98, respectively).

Higher testosterone levels were associated with a decreased likelihood of transitioning to non-excessive drinking (OR = 0.59).

Depression and estradiol levels were not related to transitions in drinking.

CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrates that the menopausal transition marks a period of instability in alcohol use among women.

Further research is warranted to understand factors related to transitioning in and out of excessive drinking.