
Decoding Alcohol with Dr. David Dodick
Leading preventive neurologist Dr. David Dodick joins the show to unpack what alcohol is really doing inside the body. We dive into how it affects the brain, why it’s linked to an increased cancer risk, how it influences the immune system, and what makes alcohol especially impactful for women navigating perimenopause and menopause.
If you’ve ever wondered what alcohol use might mean for your long-term health, this conversation is for you.
Special thanks to Antonia Lyons
Links to resources mentioned in this episode:
Office of the Surgeon General: Alcohol and Cancer Risk
Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission
Note: In this show, we use “women” as shorthand for people with XX chromosomes. We understand sex and gender are more complex, and acknowledge the experiences we describe reach beyond that word.
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Meet the Host

Dr. Elizabeth Poynor
Chair of Women’s Health & Gynecology at the Atria Health and Research Institute.
Dr. Elizabeth Poynor, host of Decoding Women’s Health, is a gynecologic oncologist, an advanced pelvic surgeon, and an expert in midlife women’s health. To investigate all manner of women’s health issues, she blends her background in complex surgical and medical issues with a holistic approach that incorporates leading-edge science and integrative medicine.