When you stop by for your annual checkup, you may be asked questions such as: “How much alcohol do you consume most weeks?” Or, how many days in the past week did you drink alcohol? Or simply “Do you drink alcohol?”
Most doctors agree that asking about alcohol consumption and assessing whether drinking is interfering with your physical and mental health is an important part of a medical exam. And there are evidence-backed tools for talking about alcohol consumption, even if it’s just a 15-minute appointment. However, research suggests that alcohol screening and counseling are too often shortened or skipped during primary care visits.
This gap places a huge burden on patients and healthcare systems. Excessive alcohol consumption, exceeding one drink a day for women and two for men, is known to cause or worsen dozens of diseases and shorten lifespan. Even moderate use is associated with an increased risk of cancer, high blood pressure, liver damage, and other diseases.
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