The Liver Doc's take on Michelle Trachtenberg death: Women at risk of liver disease despite low alcohol intake

According to The Liver Doc, women are more at risk of developing cancers and liver diseases from alcohol consumption as compared to men.

Michelle Trachtenberg, who starred in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl, died at 39. The cause of her death has not been confirmed, but a source told NBC New York that Trachtenberg had recently received a liver transplant. Though it has not been confirmed whether Michelle suffered from alcohol use disorder, alcohol-related liver disease is the most common reason for a liver transplant.

Women more at risk because of alcohol consumption

In a new video, the social media famous doctor The Liver Doc (aka Cyriac Abby Philips), talked about Michelle's death and why women who consume alcohol need to understand what it can do to their bodies. According to the doctor, compared to males, women have a significantly higher risk of developing severe liver disease with lower levels of consumption.

Listing the complications women may face because of consuming alcohol, The Liver Doc said, “They may experience brain degeneration, brain size reduction, blackouts, severe hangovers, incapacitation, heart disease, high blood pressure, memory-related disorders, anxiety, depression, and severe mental health disorders.”

Alcohol increases cancer risk

The Liver Doc stressed that while alcohol affects women in terrifying ways, including ‘vulnerability to sexual assaults, domestic violence, partner crime, and more’, it can also increase the risk of various types of cancers, with breast cancer being the most significant one. He said that breast cancer can arise in women even with low levels of consumption.

Alarming data

He also shared the data on how even one drink per day or week can harm women. “The most crucial point to realize here is that it is not just the liver that is the focus; it is the risk of cancers. If a woman drinks less than one drink per week, the risk of cancer is 16.5 per cent. If she drinks one drink a day, which totals seven drinks a week, the risk increases by 19 per cent,” The Liver Doc revealed.

“Drinking two drinks a day, that is 14 drinks in a week, of any alcohol standard (a drink unit is 10 grams of ethanol), the cancer risk increases up to 22 per cent,” he added. “A lot of cancer diagnoses in women are directly associated with alcohol. Please remember that there is no safe level of drinking, and there is no safe level of alcohol that benefits human health,” he advised in the end.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.