Scientists from the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have found that long-term heavy drinking can severely harm people’s health.
They focused on a serious liver disease called alcohol-associated hepatitis, which develops after many years of excessive alcohol consumption.
Individuals with this condition have been drinking large amounts of alcohol daily for over a decade.
This typically means more than a six-pack of beer, a full bottle of wine, or four shots of liquor every day for at least ten years. Such prolonged heavy drinking overwhelms the liver, leading to severe damage.
Alcohol-associated hepatitis is more dangerous than other alcohol-related liver diseases like fatty liver disease and cirrhosis. It causes the liver to become inflamed and function poorly.
Unfortunately, the prognosis is grim: about 10% of people diagnosed with this condition die within one month, and approximately 25% die within six months. Many are in the advanced stages of illness by the time they seek medical help.
In their study, the researchers analyzed blood and tissue samples from 106 people. This group included 57 patients with alcohol-associated hepatitis and 49 others who either had non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, other alcohol-related liver conditions like cirrhosis, or were healthy individuals.
Using a sensitive technique called mass spectrometry, the team measured over 1,500 proteins in the participants’ blood. Proteins are essential molecules that perform various functions in the body, and changes in their levels can indicate disease.
The researchers discovered that alcohol-associated hepatitis significantly alters proteins in the blood. They identified about 100 proteins that were different in patients with the disease.
These proteins are involved in critical bodily functions, including inflammation, immune responses, blood clotting, and essential liver activities.
These findings align with previous studies examining liver tissues from patients with alcohol-associated hepatitis. Both sets of research highlight a key molecule known as HNF4A.
This molecule plays a central role in controlling gene activity in the liver and is also involved in other diseases like pancreatic cancer and diabetes.
Understanding these protein changes is a vital step toward developing a blood test that can diagnose alcohol-associated hepatitis.
Currently, diagnosing this disease can be challenging because its symptoms are similar to other liver conditions. A simple blood test would help doctors identify the disease earlier and start treatment sooner.
The researchers are now exploring whether these protein changes can also monitor how patients respond to treatment. Typically, doctors use steroids to reduce liver inflammation in these patients.
However, steroid treatment can weaken the immune system, making patients more susceptible to infections.
This study underscores the severe health risks associated with long-term heavy drinking. Alcohol doesn’t just affect the liver; it can harm nearly every organ in the body.
Prolonged excessive drinking increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, certain cancers, and mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
It’s important to recognize what constitutes heavy drinking. Health experts suggest that men should limit themselves to no more than two alcoholic drinks per day, and women should have no more than one.
One standard drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits.
Reducing alcohol intake or quitting altogether can significantly improve your health and reduce the risk of developing serious conditions like alcohol-associated hepatitis.
If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol use, it’s crucial to seek help from healthcare professionals who can provide support and treatment options.
Adopting a healthier lifestyle can also have positive effects on your overall well-being. For instance, studies have shown that a low-carb diet might help reverse aspects of brain aging.
Other research suggests that vitamin K can reduce the risk of heart disease, and certain medications may prevent respiratory and heart damage in people with COVID-19.
The study on alcohol-associated hepatitis was conducted by biochemist Jon Jacobs and his team and published in the American Journal of Pathology.
Their work offers hope for better diagnostic tools and treatments for this severe liver disease. It also serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of heavy drinking over many years and the importance of taking care of one’s health.
If you care about liver health, please read studies about a diet that can treat fatty liver disease and obesity, and coffee drinkers may halve their risk of liver cancer.
For more information about liver health, please see recent studies that anti-inflammatory diet could help prevent fatty liver disease, and results showing vitamin D could help prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
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