Articles
Alcohol use: Weighing risks and benefits
Possible health benefits of moderate alcohol use
Guidelines for moderate alcohol use
When to avoid alcohol use
The risks of heavy alcohol use
Drink alcohol only in moderation — or not at all
Content
Defining moderate
Pros and cons of moderate alcohol use
Risks of heavy alcohol use
When to avoid alcohol
Deciding about drinking
Risks of heavy alcohol use
While moderate alcohol use may offer some health benefits, heavy drinking — including binge drinking — has no health benefits.
Heavy or high-risk drinking is defined as more than three drinks on any day or more than seven drinks a week for women and for men older than age 65, and more than four drinks on any day or more than 14 drinks a week for men age 65 and younger.
Binge drinking is defined as four or more drinks within two hours for women and five or more drinks within two hours for men.
Excessive drinking can increase your risk of serious health problems, including:
- Certain cancers, including breast cancer and cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus and liver
- Pancreatitis
- Sudden death if you already have cardiovascular disease
- Heart muscle damage (alcoholic cardiomyopathy) leading to heart failure
- Stroke
- High blood pressure
- Liver disease
- Suicide
- Accidental serious injury or death
- Brain damage and other problems in an unborn child
- Alcohol withdrawal syndrome
