Alcoholic liver disease (hepatitis/cirrhosis)

Alternative names:

cirrhosis or hepatitis - alcoholic; Laennec's cirrhosis; liver disease due to alcohol

Definition:

An acute or chronic inflammation of the liver induced by alcohol abuse. See also cirrhosis.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Alcoholic hepatitis usually occurs after years of excessive drinking. The longer the duration of alcohol use and the larger the consumption of alcohol, the greater the probability of developing liver disease. Malnutrition develops as a result of empty calories from alcohol, reduced appetite, and malabsorption (inadequate absorption of nutrients from the intestinal tract). Malnutrition contributes to liver disease. The toxicity of ethanol to the liver, individual susceptibility to alcohol-induced liver disease, and genetic factors also contribute to the development of alcoholic liver disease.

Alcoholic liver disease does not affect all heavy drinkers, and women may be more susceptible than men. Drunkenness is not essential for the development of the disease. In some drinkers, the rate of alcohol metabolism can be high enough to allow for the consumption of large quantities of alcohol without raising the blood alcohol level to detectable concentrations by conventional breath analyzer. Changes start within the liver as inflammation (hepatitis), and progress to fatty liver, and cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is the final phase of the disease. Symptoms may not be present until the disease is relatively advanced. Serious complications are associated with advanced disease such as alcoholic encephalopathy (damage to brain tissue) and portal hypertension (high blood pressure within the liver). The disease usually affects those older than 30. The incidence is 3 out of 10,000 people.