Alcohol Misuse and Kidney Injury: Epidemiological Evidence and Potential Mechanisms PMC

Posted on 28 de dezembro de 2023
in Sober living
by admin

what does alcohol do to your liver and kidneys

There are mixed conclusions about whether or not alcohol causes kidney failure specifically. People who have developed alcohol-related hepatitis and alcohol-related cirrhosis are often malnourished, which can lead to worse health outcomes. Therefore, it’s vital for those with any stage of ALD to maintain a healthy diet. People with signs of malnourishment may need to increase the number of calories and amount of protein they consume, as well as take nutrient or vitamin supplements. What about the kidney pain some people claim to feel after a night of drinking? According to Dr. Bobart, there’s no research to suggest a link between alcohol and kidney pain.

Recovering From the Effects of Alcohol on the Liver

This can cause a sudden drop in kidney function known as “acute kidney injury.” When this happens, dialysis is needed until a person’s kidney function returns to normal.
Renal microcirculatory alterations in advanced liver cirrhosis leads to hepatorenal syndrome.
The answer to this version of the “chicken-and-egg” question remains to be elucidated.
Extreme binge drinking can sometimes lead to acute pancreatitis and, in severe cases, alcohol poisoning.
That amount can vary, though, based on your age, health, and physical activity.
Because alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, it may slow the rate of breathing as well as reduce the brain’s respiratory center’s sensitivity to carbon dioxide levels.

As liver failure progresses, rising toxin levels can start to affect the brain, leading to hepatic encephalopathy. This can cause mood or personality changes, impaired thinking, loss of concentration, and sleep problems. Acetaldehyde is a highly reactive, toxic chemical that the immune system recognizes as harmful. The binding of acetaldehyde to proteins and fat cells in the liver triggers an inflammatory response that can damage and kill hepatocytes. The effects of alcohol on the liver can change with short-term and long-term use.

Every time you drink alcohol, some liver cells (called hepatocytes) die.
Alcoholic fatty liver disease appears early on as fat deposits accumulate in the liver.
It’s generally not reversible, but stopping drinking alcohol immediately can prevent further damage and significantly increase your life expectancy.
This is called alcoholic fatty liver disease, and is the first stage of ARLD.
Among other things, the liver produces and secretes bile, a fluid that helps digest fats; metabolizes carbohydrates, fats, and proteins; and produces substances that are essential for blood clotting.
Some people with severe alcoholic hepatitis may need a liver transplant.

Treatments for chronic kidney disease

what does alcohol do to your liver and kidneys

This reduces the risk of further liver injury, giving you the best chance of recovering. According to a 2015 analysis in the peer-reviewed journal Cancer Causes & Control, consuming 12 grams of pure alcohol per day (a little less than what’s https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/should-you-have-relationships-in-recovery/ considered one standard drink) increases the risk of liver cancer risk by 8%. The risk increases to 54% when 50 g are consumed and 320% when 100 g are consumed. Other factors may contribute to the onset of cirrhosis with daily alcohol use.

Dr. Blake Shusterman

There are often no notable symptoms in the early stages of alcohol-related liver disease. If you do have symptoms, they may include pain or discomfort in the upper right side of your abdomen, fatigue, or unexplained weight loss. In addition to the short-term effects on the body, there are many long-term consequences of chronic alcohol use on the body, particularly for the brain, kidneys and liver. Indeed, liver transplantation is one of two options available today for treating hepatorenal syndrome. Several mechanisms may contribute to abnormally low phosphate levels (i.e., hypophosphatemia) (see box).

3For a person weighing 150 pounds, this dose would be roughly equivalent to 17 drinks.
There are three stages—alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, and alcoholic cirrhosis.
However, if there is progression from fibrosis to cirrhosis, the odds of regression (reversibility) are decreased.
The areas around your kidneys may feel sore after you drink alcohol.
Regardless of the precipitating factor, patients who develop kidney failure in the course of alcoholic cirrhosis have a grave prognosis.

Most of the metabolic reactions essential to life are highly sensitive to the acidity (i.e., hydrogen ion concentration) of the surrounding fluid. The kidneys play an important role in regulating acidity, thereby helping determine the rate at which metabolic reactions proceed. Alcohol can hamper the regulation of acidity, thus affecting the body’s metabolic balance. The risk of liver cancer from alcohol use appears to be dose-dependent, meaning that your risk increases with the amount you drink. Moreover, when more than 60 g of alcohol are consumed per day, the risk of cirrhosis-related death increases by 14 times in men and 22.5 times in women compared to nondrinkers. As such, your risk of liver disease is influenced not only by how much you drink and what you drink but also by how you drink alcohol.

what does alcohol do to your liver and kidneys

What Does Alcohol Do to Your Body? 9 Ways Alcohol Affects Your Health

Over time, the liver of a person who drinks heavily can become damaged and cause alcoholic liver disease. Having more than three drinks in a day (or more than seven per week) for women, and more than four drinks in a day (or more than 14 per week) for men, is considered “heavy” drinking. Heavy drinking on a regular basis has been found to double the risk for how alcohol affects the kidneys kidney disease. Drinking alcohol can affect many parts of your body, including your kidneys. A little alcohol—one or two drinks now and then—usually has no serious effects. In terms of alcohol’s effects on the kidneys, the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) states that drinking too much alcohol can harm kidney function and worsen existing kidney disease.

However, the study authors also mentioned that more studies are needed to explore the connection between AUD and kidney function. The outlook for people with ALD depends on the severity of liver damage, the presence of risk factors and complications, and their ability to permanently stop drinking. In general, those with mild disease, who have no or few risk factors and complications, and who remain abstinent have better outcomes. The doctor may also perform an endoscopy to check whether the veins in the esophagus are enlarged. This is a condition known as esophageal varices, and it can develop in people with alcohol-related hepatitis or cirrhosis.