Women's Health
The latest thinking on drinking
If you're confused about how alcohol affects your health, there's good reason. But women can't afford to tune out the noise.
- Reviewed by Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
If your Dry January quickly turned damp and later splashed into nightly cocktails on the patio, you probably weren't enthused by a recent analysis suggesting women's risks of dying early rise markedly when we drink an average of just under two alcoholic beverages a day.
But perhaps another recent study made you nod with satisfaction — one suggesting alcohol lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke by improving stress signaling in the brain.
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About the Author
Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
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