'Wind-down wine' could spell trouble

That ticking you can hear is another health time bomb - booze.

According to Professor Ian Gilmore, the chairman of the UK Alcohol Alliance, "wind-down wine" is the latest threat to our wellbeing, reports The Sun.

And, for once, the finger- wagging is directed at the ladies - it seems they're the ones popping a cork to deal with stress and anxiety.

"Women are storing up a health timebomb by drinking this regularly," warns the prof.

The rest of us aren't off the hook: alcohol is a risk to us all. If not wind-down wine then maybe lighten-up lager or chill-out champers, as reported in The Sun.

The question, of course, is how do you know when you overdo it?

True, alcoholism isn't that hard to spot. You get the shakes when you're due some juice, you can drink your mates under the table and all you think about is who's getting the next round.

Working out whether you're a "problem drinker" is trickier, says The Sun.

You could count up your units. The recommended weekly levels are fewer than 21 units for men and 14 for women - remember, these are upper limits, not targets.

But it can be hard to work out how many units are in a glass - especially if yours is super-size.

Then you have to add it up - and you may just do some creative accounting if you want to kid yourself everything's OK.

Besides, the guidelines don't account for your drinking pattern.

If you neck 20 units in one binge, you might argue that's fine because it's within the weekly limit.

Try telling that to the doc who stitches your scalp together after you head-butt the pavement.

So how else can you gauge your habit? Well, you could try a CAGE. Just answer the following:

Have you felt you should Cut down your drinking?

Have people Annoyed you by criticising your drinking?

Have you felt Guilty about drinking?

Have you ever had a drink in the morning to steady your nerves (an Eye-opener)?

More than one "yes" and you may have a problem.

Or cut to the chase with a critical look at your health and lifestyle.