| You’ve probably heard about the U.S. surgeon general’s advisory on alcohol and cancer. It’s generated a lot of conversation—but what does it mean for you? We talked to two researchers at the Charleston Alcohol Research Center here at MUSC to get their take. “I see this as an opportunity to once again talk about the breadth of impact that alcohol can have on one’s health, especially if you’re drinking in a hazardous way. So not necessarily social drinking per se, but heavy drinking,” said Dr. Howard Becker. What is heavy drinking? For men, it’s five or more drinks per day. For women, it’s four or more drinks per day. The surgeon general’s advisory notes that the risk of cancer increases even below that threshold. Dr. Becker recommends taking stock of your alcohol consumption. Is your blood pressure up? Are you gaining weight? Are you having trouble sleeping? Cutting back on drinking may help all those symptoms—and, incidentally, reduce your cancer risk. Some groups who should pay particular attention to the advisory: Women who are already in a high-risk group for breast cancer Older adults People who smoke |
If you’d like to talk to a specialist about your drinking, you can call the MUSC Center for Drug and Alcohol Programs at 843-792-5200
