Alcoholism And Liver- The Aftermath

Once considered as the trend of the West, alcohol consumption is now common among Indians, especially_ in teenagers. This epistemological shift in India has been to such extent that the amount of alcohol consumption has increased, while ironically, in the West, stabilization in alcohol consumption was observed in last few decades.

Alcohol Dependency One never realizes how their first glass of an alcohol can result into alcohol dependency. Also known as alcoholism (it is the most severe form of alcohol related conditions). It can be described as regular alcohol abuse affecting individual's physical, mental and social health .

To become alcohol dependent, it takes months to years, depending upon the individual. Risk of alcoholism begins from low levels of alcohol intake which gradually increases with the volume and drinking frequency. In majority of cases, alcoholism leads to Alcoholic Liver Disease (ALD).

How Alcohol Affects Your Liver?
Liver - The second largest organ of our body having tons of different roles, but most importantly, it is known as the body detoxifier. liver oxidizes alcohol into a compound called acetaldehyde which is further oxidized to acetate by acetaldehyde dehydrogenase enzyme and utilized by mitochondria for energy production. An enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) expressed by parenchymal cells (which make up to 70% of liver) metabolizes alcohol along with cytochrome P-4502E1 (CYP2E21) which is also expressed at high levels by the liver.' Generally, ADH is useful in degrading alcohol when consumed in limited quantity whereas, when consumed in excess, CYP2E21 degrades the alcohol.

Apart from binge drinking (consuming 4 to 5 standard drinks in 2 hours or less), drinking more than 4 to 5 standard drinks per day for decades can also leads to Alcoholic Liver Disease. Alcoholic Liver Disease is mostly due to the toxic effects of acetaldehyde on liver, causing alcoholic hepatitis. Persistent drinking during alcoholic hepatitis leads to liver fibrosis. If continued drinking, fibrosis is more likely to take form of liver cirrhosis. In cirrhosis, scar tissue replaces damaged liver cells due to chronic inflammation which leads to liver impairment.

Regular intake of alcohol also leads to fat build up over liver. Too much fat in the liver causes fatty liver disease leading to high levels of fat in blood, also increasing the risk of Diabetes.

Risk Factors of Alcoholic Liver Disease The biggest risk factor is the total amount of alcohol you are consuming.
- Binge drinking
- Women have higher risk of developing alcoholic liver diseases than men
- Alcoholic Liver Disease runs in families
Diet containing unsaturated fat and obesity increases the risk of alcoholic dependency

Management of Alcoholic Liver Disease Alcohol dependency can damage your liver by affecting its function causing Alcoholic Liver Disease. Knowing the symptoms for Alcoholic Liver Disease plays a crucial role. Managing alcohol dependency varies from person to person, risk factors and the condition of the liver. If diagnosed early, abstinence from alcohol and good nutrition intake is enough to reverse your liver condition and no specific treatment is required. Losing weight and quitting cigarettes are also recommended as they both can make alcoholic disease worse. Individuals with severe acute alcoholic Hepatitis have a greater chance of early death if left untreated. Various short term specific therapies are available to control the condition. In cases of complete liver failure, liver transplant is only option. It is a complicated procedure and involves risk of infections and transplant rejection by the host immune system. Liver transplant can be performed only on individuals who can show at least 6 months of complete alcohol abstinence,

Equipped with advanced technologies, Thyrocare provides LFT Blood Test including gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) which can be used with other blood tests to determine liver d amage, especially from alcohol.