Early Signs of Liver Damage From Alcohol: How to Tell, What to Know

The co-existence of multiple risk factors could largely promote the progression of ARLD through complex molecular mechanisms. Several studies have shown that alcohol abuse is accompanied by metabolic syndrome [252, 403] or hepatitis virus infection [404, 405], would accelerate the speed of liver fibrosis. Another study demonstrated that 70% of HCV-infected patients in Europe and North America are heavy drinkers [406], alcoholic liver disease which is in agreement with the high prevalence shown in the present study. The GALA–ALD cohort is a diagnostic-test cohort of consecutively recruited patients with a history of harmful drinking. They represent asymptomatic ALD within the full spectrum of early stages of the disease, because any individuals with known chronic liver disease and/or clear signs of decompensated, late-stage disease were excluded.

Treatment of symptoms and complications

People may have a fever, jaundice, and a tender, painful, enlarged liver. Most alcohol, after being absorbed in the digestive tract, is processed (metabolized) in the liver. As alcohol is processed, substances that can damage the liver are produced. The more alcohol a person drinks, the greater the damage to the liver. When alcohol damages the liver, the liver can continue to function for a while because the liver can sometimes recover from mild damage.

What are possible complications of alcohol-induced liver disease?

A study showed a 2.1-fold increase in deaths from alcohol poisoning between 2000 and 2019 in USA [3]. According to the WHO data, the global number of deaths caused by alcohol was about 3 million in 2016. Among them, the deaths caused by alcohol-related digestive diseases accounted for 21.3% of all diseases with highest proportion [1]. The total number of deaths was 637,000, including 607,000 cases of ARLD [1]. Therefore, ARLD has become one of the major causes of alcohol-related death.

• Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can readily detect cirrhosis.
• Although stopping drinking alcohol is the most effective treatment for alcoholic liver disease, it is not a complete cure.
• The GALA–ALD cohort is a diagnostic-test cohort of consecutively recruited patients with a history of harmful drinking.
• Yet, existing evidence indicates its potential as a therapeutic option for NAFLD.
• Fatty liver disease often has no symptoms and can usually be reversed.
• Specialists may use anti-inflammatory medication in some patients to reduce liver damage, such as steroids (corticosteroids).

About this article

Drinking a large amount of alcohol, even for just a few days, can lead to a build-up of fats in the liver. Annual deaths caused by the disease are on the rise in the United States, having climbed 39 percent in recent years, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Death rates are highest in men and adults aged 50 to 64, though they are increasing more quickly among women and younger adults. Abdominal paracentesis should be performed in all patients with newly identified ascites. For the optimal assessment of liver fibrosis, it must be appreciated by specific stains, as Masson Trichrome or Sirius Red. Reasons may include a shortage of organs, the difficulty of the procedure, and concerns that you may experience an alcohol misuse relapse after the transplant.

• Research is ongoing on medications that might be able to reverse cirrhosis.
• The tube is very thin, it goes up your nose and then through your food pipe and into your stomach.
• However, Patients with MASLD were more likely to have elevated HRS compared with those with NAFLD.
• Medications and lifestyle modifications may also be prescribed depending on the stage.

• Among them, the deaths caused by alcohol-related digestive diseases accounted for 21.3% of all diseases with highest proportion [1].
• The mechanism behind the efficacy of berberine in treating NAFLD remains unclear.
• We provide an open-source interactive data visualization tool for data exploration (Supplementary Fig. 1).
• Below, we’ll explore the early signs of alcohol-related liver disease, what alcohol actually does to your liver, and what steps you can take in your day-to-day life to improve your liver health.
• In the absence of a superimposed hepatic process, stigmata of chronic liver disease such as spider angiomas, ascites, or asterixis are likely absent.
• This reduces TG accumulation in hepatocytes and alleviates hepatic steatosis.
• In order to understand alcohol’s effect on the liver, it’s helpful to know the role of the liver in overall health.

Extended Data Fig. 2 Proteomics data quality.