*Welcome to the OutUK series looking at gay men and their health brought to you in association with the NHS* website.**
	Each week we'll tackle a different topic in our A to Z of Gay Health. We'll have features and advice on everything from relationships, sexual health, mental and physical conditions and how to stay fit. You can follow any of links provided below for more information direct from the NHS website, or see this week's feature Q: QT Syndrome (Long).

The Risks Of Drinking Too Much

Regularly drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week risks damaging your health.

The number of units in a drink is based on the size of the drink and its alcohol strength.

New evidence around the health harms from regular drinking has emerged in recent years.

There's now a better understanding of the link between drinking and some illnesses, including a range of cancers.

The previously held position that some level of alcohol was good for the heart has been revised.

It's now thought that the evidence on a protective effect from moderate drinking is less strong than previously thought.

Low-risk drinking advice

To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level if you drink most weeks:

men and women are advised not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis
spread your drinking over 3 or more days if you regularly drink as much as 14 units a week
if you want to cut down, try to have several drink-free days each week

If you're pregnant or think you could become pregnant, the safest approach is not to drink alcohol at all to keep risks to your baby to a minimum.

If you drink less than 14 units a week, this is considered low-risk drinking.

It's called "low risk" rather than "safe" because there's no safe drinking level.

The type of illnesses you can develop after 10 to 20 years of regularly drinking more than 14 units a week include:

There's also evidence that regular drinking at high-risk levels can make your mental health worse.

Research has found strong links between alcohol misuse and self-harming, including suicide.

The effects of alcohol on your health will depend on how much you drink. The less you drink, the lower the health risks.

Read about alcohol units to work out how much alcohol there is in your drinks.

Drinking too much too quickly on any single occasion can increase your risk of:

accidents resulting in injury, causing death in some cases
misjudging risky situations
losing self-control, like having unprotected sex or getting involved in violence

To reduce your health risks on any single session:

OutUK's A to Z of Gay Health continues and you can read this week's feature Q: QT Syndrome (Long). We have covered many subjects in this series and you can catch up with all of our Previous A to Z Features. If you want to find out more about this particular topic you can visit the Original article on the NHS website. If you are worried by any aspect of your health make sure you go and see your doctor or book an appointment at your local clinic.
Photos: LightFieldStudios and one of VladOrlov, Stockcube, darak77, ajr_images or rawpixel.com.