Alcohol-Related Liver Disease

Alcohol-Related Liver Disease

Alcohol is a liver toxin. Virtually all heavy drinkers will develop alcoholic fatty liver. On imaging and liver histology, alcoholic fatty liver cannot be differentiated from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Liver enzymes can be elevated; aspartate aminotransferase (AST) is usually higher than alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Binge drinking increases the risk of alcoholic hepatitis. Prolonged and excessive alcohol consumption can lead to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. Alcohol consumption will accelerate the disease progression in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Women have a higher risk of liver damage from alcohol than men. Besides liver damage, alcohol also increases the risk of other medical conditions including high blood pressure, heart disease, anemia, dementia, mental disorder, pancreatitis, gastrointestinal cancers, and breast cancer. Although there are many recommendations on the amount of alcohol one can consume, there is no clear safe level of alcohol consumption. Alcoholic fatty liver is potentially reversible on abstinence of alcohol, but alcoholic liver cirrhosis may not be completely reversible. There is no specific drug treatment for alcohol-related liver disease.