OBJECTIVE:To summarize for clinicians recent epidemiologic evidence regarding medical risks of alcohol use for women.METHODS: MEDLINE and PsychINFO, 1990 through 1996, were searched using key words "women" or "woman," and "alcohol." MEDLINE was also searched for other specific topics and authors from 1980 through 1996. Data were extracted and reviewed regarding levels of alcohol consumption associated with mortality, cardiovascular disease, alcoholrelated liver disease, injury, osteoporosis, neurologic symptoms, psychiatric comorbidity, fetal alcohol syndrome, spontaneous abortion, infertility, menstrual symptoms, breast cancer, and gynecologic malignancies. Gender-specific data from cohort studies of general population or large clinical samples are primarily reviewed. MAIN RESULTS:Women develop many alcohol-related medical problems at lower levels of consumption than men, probably reflecting women's lower total body water, gender differences in alcohol metabolism, and effects of alcohol on postmenopausal estrogen levels. Mortality and breast cancer are increased in women who report drinking more than two drinks daily. Higher levels of alcohol consumption by women are associated with increased menstrual symptoms, hypertension, and stroke. Women who drink heavily also appear to have increased infertility and spontaneous abortion. Adverse fetal effects occur after variable amounts of alcohol consumption, making any alcohol use during pregnancy potentially harmful. CONCLUSIONS:In general, advising nonpregnant women who drink alcohol to have fewer than two drinks daily is strongly supported by the epidemiologic literature, although specific recommendations for a particular woman should depend on her medical history and risk factors. L ess than three quarters of women in the UnitedStates drink alcohol, and those who do drink consume fewer drinks and less absolute alcohol than men. 1 However, at similar levels of self-reported alcohol consumption, the risk of psychosocial problems or dependence is greater for women than men (for definitions, see Appendix A). [2][3][4][5][6] Women also appear to develop alcohol abuse and dependence after fewer years of drinking than men. 7 Although only 4% to 5% of women in the U.S. general population meet criteria for past-year alcohol abuse or dependence, 8,9 9% of female primary care patients in some studies have reported recent heavy drinking or alcohol-related problems. 10,11 Many heavy drinkers decrease consumption following brief interventions that include explicit advice about safe drinking limits. [12][13][14] In addition, offering feedback about specific risks or consequences of their drinking to patients who drink heavily can help motivate them to decrease alcohol consumption or seek treatment. 15,16 Physicians report they would be more likely to advise patients about safe drinking practices if they were more confident of their knowledge about safe levels of alcohol consumption. 17 Women who drink more than two drinks daily on average, or who frequently drink five or more d...