Women alcoholics were nearly five times as likely to die early as their non-addicted peers and alcohol-dependent men were only twice as likely to die early as members of the general population.
In a German study that followed 149 heavy drinkers for 14 years, the alcohol-addicted men and women were about 20 years younger on average than the normal life expectancy at the time of their death, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
"Our findings suggest that women with alcohol dependence should be considered at higher risk of premature death than alcohol-dependent men," said the authors of the study.
"In light of these results general practitioners should screen their female patients, asking questions about excess alcohol and tobacco consumption," lead researcher Ulrich John was quoted as telling The Sun-Herald.
The director of Australia's National Drug Research Institute, Steve Allsop, said differences in biological make-up made alcohol more dangerous for women than men.
He said men are generally bigger than women with more body water and less body fat, meaning the same amount of alcohol results in a higher blood alcohol level for women.
"Women are more at risk of intoxication than men; in the longer term they become more dependent quicker and they experience more physical harm in a shorter period of time than men," Allsop said.
The German findings tallied with Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol, he said.
According to the NHMRC, the risks from drinking more than the recommended two standard drinks a day increase at a faster rate for women.
Women who consume 10 standard drinks a day have a 10 per cent risk of death from alcohol-related causes, while men who consume the same amount have a 6 per cent risk of death.
The study will be published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
