Previous research has shown that men consume more alcohol than women. However, new findings by the National Institute of Health (NIH), published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, show that women are increasing their alcohol consumption, coming close to the amount men consume.

Researchers from the NIH analyzed the data from the 2002-2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which provides information on alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use in the United States. The researchers specifically looked at the alcohol use of both men and women over the age of 12. They studied their levels of drinking, binge drinking, drinking and driving and if they ever combined the alcohol consumption with drug use.

The levels of alcohol consumption in women increased during the 10-year period. The number of women who reportedly consumed alcohol in the past 30 days increased from 44.9 percent in 2002 to 48.3 percent in 2012, and the number of days the women drank in the past 30 days increased from 6.8 days to 7.3 days. In contrast, the alcohol consumption in men decreased from 57.4 percent in 2002 to 56.1 percent in 2012.

These results are concerning due to the adverse health effects from alcohol on women, like cardiovascular disease.