It's sometimes referred to as a Baby Boomer Dark Secret: Alcohol. How much do Boomers drink, how often do they imbibe and do they know the full risk of consequences?

Boomers are the first generation to grow up drinking from the day we reached legal age or even before. It's an accepted lifestyle choice and social expectation for many of us. Why is it called a secret? Because as we age and take more medications, what doctors and care givers don’t know or don’t ask us about our drinking habits could result in a disastrous cocktail.

Just drinking too much alone can result in bad health. According to a 2013 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol contributes to increased risk for more than 65 diseases and conditions, including a variety of cancers, liver disease, injuries and cognitive impairment. But if you mix in prescription medications and over-the counter meds as well, you could be doing yourself great harm. A medication as seemingly as harmless as Tylenol when mixed with excessive alcohol can lead to liver failure and/or death.

Most of those forms at the doctor's office will ask you to "guess-timate" your alcohol intake, but how honest are you? Are you ever asked about recreational drug use like marijuana or cocaine? And how many of your doctors really dive deep about medications and alcohol you might be using on a daily basis or consult with your other doctors before scheduling a procedure or prescribing a new drug?

If you aren't having these discussions with your doctors, make an effort to do so. Don't be embarrassed. None of us want to over think moderate alcohol intake and your doctor isn't there to judge. But he should know all the facts because he is there to keep you healthy and safe.

Lifestyle gerontologist Dr. Alexis Abramson and medical doctor, Sandy Fryhofer join Bobbie for this important health discussion: