Excessive drinking can damage the liver. Yet, unlike obesity or high cholesterol, clinicians only screen for alcohol use by asking their patients how much they drink. Turns out that method is not always reliable, and a blood test can help determine whether a person’s drinking may be causing liver disease. Researchers at UC San Francisco say it would be a more reliable way to assess a person’s drinking, so clinicians can intervene in time to prevent more serious damage. We don’t ask someone how much fatty food they eat. We measure their cholesterol. We don’t ask people how much they think they