New year, new goals: reducing your health risks from alcohol and tobacco

John McConnell, MD, is a primary care physician board certified in internal medicine. Dr. McConnell uses evidence-based medicine to provide effective patient-centered care focuses on preventive medicine that is founded in evidence-based practice. His favorite part of practicing primary care medicine is the opportunity to personalize a patient’s health plan. He sees patients in the Inova 360 Concierge Medicine — Fair Oaks office.

Happy new year! This is the time of year when many people decide to make major lifestyle changes – at least, for a month or so. Frequently, patients will ask me about quitting smoking and other tobacco products and lowering their alcohol consumption in the month of January. 

Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances known to humans, and it’s the reason it’s so hard to quit smoking, vaping and using Zyn pouches or other nicotine delivery systems. Tobacco products are known to cause cancer and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Even light smoking (two cigarettes a day, for instance) nearly doubles one’s risk of dying of any cause, compared to nonsmokers over 15 to 20 years. And occasional (once or twice a month) cigar smoking increases one’s risk of lung cancer death by about 2.3 times, compared to a nonsmoker. It’s well worth quitting these habits entirely.

You can talk with your doctor about medications such as varenicline (brand name Chantix), which can improve your odds of successfully quitting. If you’ve tried to quit and have not succeeded in the past, you’re in good company. Most people who end up quitting tobacco products for good take multiple attempts to finally do so. 

Reducing or stopping alcohol consumption is another potential way to optimize your health. Alcohol-related deaths are common in the United States, with over 140,000 deaths from the effects of alcohol in an average year.

We are starting to better understand the risks of moderate alcohol use, too. Gone are the recommendations that people can safely drink one or two alcoholic drinks per day. Risks of breast, head and neck, colon, and liver cancers are all increased by drinking just one alcoholic drink per day. And low levels of alcohol consumption also contribute to a person’s risk of high blood pressure, heart arrhythmias, sleep disorders and liver disease.

If you are currently a heavy drinker (typically eight or more drinks per day), you should not stop drinking alcohol abruptly, as this can lead to a fatal withdrawal syndrome. But working with your doctor, and in some cases using medications to help, it is very possible to reduce or quit drinking alcohol entirely.

“Dry January” has become a popular way to experiment with the idea of alcohol abstinence, but I recommend making changes that are sustainable for the long term. That means you can enjoy these benefits for all twelve months of the year.

To learn more about Dr. McConnell or the Inova 360 Concierge Medicine please contact our team.