Effects alcoholism

Alcohol and liver

Alcohol-induced liver disease (ALD) is a major cause of illness and death in the United States. Fatty liver, the most common form of ALD, is reversible with abstinence. More serious ALD includes alcoholic hepatitis, characterized by persistent inflammation of the liver, and cirrhosis, characterized by progressive scarring of liver tissue. Either condition can be fatal, and treatment options are limited. During the past 5 years, research has significantly increased our understanding of the mechanisms by which alcohol consumption damages the liver. This Alcohol Alert highlights recent research on the mechanisms and treatment of ALD, updating a previous Alcohol Alert on ALD published in 1993 and available from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

How Does Alcohol Damage the Liver?

Normal liver function is essential to life. Alcohol-induced liver damage disrupts the body's metabolism, eventually impairing the function of other organs. Multiple physiological mechanisms, discussed in the following sections, interact to influence the progression of ALD. Medications that affect these mechanisms may help prevent some of the medical complications of ALD or reduce the severity of the illness.

Genetic factor

Structural or functional variability in any of the cell types and biochemical substances discussed above could influence a person's susceptibility to ALD. Researchers are seeking genetic factors that may underlie this variability. Results of this research may provide the basis for future gene-based therapies.

Dietary factor

Nutritional factors influence the progression of ALD (11). For example, a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet promotes liver damage in alcohol-fed rats (12,13), and high amounts of polyunsaturated fats may promote the development of cirrhosis in animals (14,15).

Gender

Women develop ALD after consuming lower levels of alcohol over a shorter period of time compared with men (16). In addition, women have a higher incidence of alcoholic hepatitis and a higher mortality rate from cirrhosis than men (17). The mechanisms that underlie gender-related differences are unknown.