Heavy alcohol consumption has been thought to be the main cause of liver disease. Still, studies evaluating non-heavy alcohol consumption on liver function have been inconclusive in individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, the general population and those at risk.
Non-heavy alcohol users at-risk of NASH and Fibrosis
Alcohol studies usually concentrate on median daily/weekly alcohol intake, potentially obscuring disparities in drinking trends like regularity, the typical amount of alcohol taken, and binge drinking habits. However, data shows that the trend of alcohol intake may be a good determinant of its health impacts. For example, a new study has shown that non-heavy alcohol consumption could be linked to fibrosis and at-risk non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine researchers have shown that non-heavy use of alcohol is related to NASH and fibrosis (scarring and thickening of connective tissue. Additionally, researchers found various alcohol user trends and measures that include total consumption of alcohol per week that were linked with clinically significant at-risk NASJ and fibrosis in non-heavy alcohol consumers. The study’s findings were published in the clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology journal.
Corresponding author Michelle T Long explained that the results reinforce the significance of encouraging patients to minimize alcohol consumption and to follow the US Dietary recommended limits.
Researchers asked over 2,600 subjects from the Framingham Heart Study about their alcohol user and provided vibration-controlled transient elastography. Findings demonstrated that non-heavy alcohol use was related to NASH and fibrosis, with multiple alcohol consumption trends responsible for this.
Findings could help in advising people without and with NAFLD
Since the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases’ recommended guidelines don’t address non-heavy alcohol consumption in NAFLD, the researchers claim that these results have huge ramifications for advising individuals with and without pre-existing NAFLD.
Long, a physician at Boston Medical Centre, added that further research into the significance of patients’ alcohol consumption habits beyond just quantifying overall intake is necessary. This is in light of their discovery that numerous alcohol consumption habits are linked with greater fibrosis and/or at-risk NASH.
