Noelle K. LoConte

3 weeks ago | medscape.com | Noelle K. LoConte |Kristine Torres-Lockhart |Nathaniel Chin

Summary and Key TakeawaysDr Torres-Lockhart walks through the complex interplay between alcohol use and mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. Sometimes alcohol use is primary; other times, it’s a coping mechanism for existing psychiatric conditions. Regardless of which came first, physicians must treat both simultaneously.

3 weeks ago | medscape.com | Noelle K. LoConte |Kristine Torres-Lockhart |Nathaniel Chin

Summary and Key TakeawaysDr Torres-Lockhart explains that clinical frameworks often overlook a vast population of patients who drink moderately but still face significant health risks. She outlines the full spectrum of alcohol use — ranging from abstinence to chaotic dependence — and urges clinicians to identify and support those in the gray zone.

1 month ago | medscape.com | Noelle K. LoConte |Kristine Torres-Lockhart |Nathaniel Chin

Summary and Key TakeawaysDr LoConte and the panel discuss the limits of using cancer incidence as the primary endpoint in alcohol-related studies. Because cancer develops slowly, more immediate clinical markers — such as liver function changes, cognitive effects, falls, and even motor vehicle accidents — are often better indicators of harm. The panel also explores the challenges of measuring alcohol intake from a patient perspective, highlighting how misleading the concept of “a drink” can be.

1 month ago | medscape.com | Noelle K. LoConte |Kristine Torres-Lockhart |Nathaniel Chin

Summary and Key TakeawaysDr Nathaniel Chin reframes cognitive decline as a powerful entry point for patient-centered discussions about modifiable lifestyle factors, including alcohol. He explains how patients in their thirties to fifties are increasingly curious about preserving brain health, and how this opens the door to discussions about exercise, diet, and sleep — and eventually alcohol.

1 month ago | medscape.com | Noelle K. LoConte |Kristine Torres-Lockhart |Nathaniel Chin

Summary and Key TakeawaysDr LoConte spotlights emerging research that now ties alcohol to cancers beyond the well-known “big seven,” including prostate, pancreatic, and stomach cancers. Despite this growing evidence, many physicians still don’t ask patients about alcohol use. She urges clinicians — especially oncologists — to normalize these conversations in everyday care, provide nonstigmatizing support, and acknowledge how deeply embedded drinking is in social norms.