Alcohol and Your Liver

" Hi welcome to our web -- I'm doctor David marks. If you're sitting in front of your computer screen with a glass of wine or beer you're not alone. Almost two thirds of -- over fourteen years of -- drink alcoholic beverages. A little bit is okay but a lot can get into trouble which seeing on your computer screen is called fatty liver that's one of the problems that can be associated with drinking alcohol. In joining me to talk about alcohol liver disease we -- The first doctor Carol and -- she's the director of clinical nutrition at Columbia University welcome. And that her doctor Howard Warman. He's director of the division of digest -- delivered -- also at Columbia University welcome. So doctor woman we just saw a picture of fatty liver and what exactly is."

" Well fatty liver is essentially what -- the name says the accumulation of fat. In the liver cells and as X fat accumulates delivered tongue. Look like you looked in net pictures just. Yellowish accumulation of fat. And what's the problem with that. Fatty liver itself. May not be that much of a problem isn't that much of a problem with the problem is that. With fatty liver fatty liver can progress to other problems especially if you continue to -- it. Now somebody who goes out to drink a few Beers a night they build that fat and deliver. But it does go away and that Wright made probably not a few Beers but let's city's many Beers for several mines they can accumulate -- liver and then. The Fed will go away after new stuff drinking. Has diagnosed. Fatty liver it really can only be diagnosed by liver biopsies. It's kiss the logical aren't diagnosed as you make by looking at -- a liver under a microscope we can suspect it. Based on clinical grounds and laboratory tests -- doctor summer when which you suspect that delivered."

" Patient. I would expect. Probably fatty liver and impatient to. Said they were drinking and perhaps came in complaining of some pain in there right upper quadrant or in a patient who -- strossen. Route through routine tests on and found an elevation one of their -- tennis. And that would tip me off its immediate -- accumulation would you automatically send him for a biopsy. And knowing when not automatically send and provide the I would recommend a staged. Steve a history of drinking to stopped and CST. Chemical abnormality went away."

" So so the treatment really is to stop and in -- way agency to make sure everything gets better yes okay anything on fatty liver that people should know about. What's important to realize alcohol is not the only cause of fatty liver in obesity years some people with them diabetes can also accumulate fattened -- so alcohol is probably the major cause but not the only cause -- kind. Let's move on to something else hepatitis when you when people say hepatitis they think of some kind of viral infection usually but it can occur with. Alcohol intake to isn't right. Right hepatitis means inflammation of the liver and can be for many causes alcohol other drugs viruses. Metabolic diseases but the type hepatitis. Caused by alcohol referred to -- alcoholic hepatitis. And tell me exactly what it is without."

" Hepatitis there's. Well it has destruction of the liver cells. In response to drinking and not exactly clear where there's the fat accumulation and ultimately is the Spirit tend toward the alcohol. It self per say as -- has talked to linger. And isn't."

" Yes not really clear what causes that are self destruction -- inflammation despite knowing about it for all these -- we really don't know how alcohol. -- Someone who drinks casually they gonna get alcoholic hepatitis. Tossed casually -- now depending on your definition casual -- we want you -- drink tonight it may be drinking on the weekends. Or are they susceptible to alcoholic hepatitis."

" I think it depends morning. What one -- two drinks mean some people drink that double or triple -- a couple of woman call it two drinks that more than. What one would call two drinks that depends on what they call drink and I think people tend to usually underestimate. How much alcohol that they actually are drinking seeing a little careful about the definition."

" I would say if you look at it drinkers ten grams of alcohol single shot of whiskey a single beer one glass of wine. Two drinks are three drinks is not going to give you alcoholic hepatitis."

" What are the symptoms of alcoholic hepatitis. In -- early on actually -- people tend to not be symptomatic and from what I know that. But I think if the information becomes severe they've become very second one characteristic this may be coming receiver. -- Vomiting oftentimes anorexia. And and feeling extremely sick on unlike the viral hepatitis some of the viral hepatitis is for people don't even know hand and walking around. I think early on even with. Alcoholic hepatitis you may not -- you can have it until."

" Right a broad spectrum of disease from virtually asymptomatic is severely it'll comatose season and it. Is difficult the ones we usually see here in a hospital quite sick -- People could be walking around with hepatitis from a alcohol without even knowing it. Without knowing it -- mean another thing to mention about our -- kept the -- this is half an official of the other symptoms from drinking too much alcohol. Not necessarily attributable to the liver for example neurological problems or mental status problems that are. You know other problems and alcohol my house shaking her withdrawal. No worse than alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis were kind of progressing from fatty liver hepatitis cirrhosis. How commoners who wrote this from alcohol. In the United States alcohol is the number one cause of cirrhosis. And we should say what's the -- this is okay -- since it is fibrosis Ers. Generation of livers can read. Couldn't liver cells can grow after their damage you can remove 90% your liver in the liver will come back. With continued alcohol users in viral infections or other toxins delivered grows back in an abnormal pattern. -- this is as abnormal growth of liver cells with scoring. It when he grows back in an abnormal pattern does that mean it doesn't work right. I'm eventually. Deliverables stopped working right in neurosis at the beginning everything might work okay. As -- disease progresses things could stop working completely. How long period of time a person have to drink. To worry about cirrhosis is there's -- kind of times friend. You want to try to -- yeah. -- using XP yeah yeah again and I say that because you can't predict an individual person some people can drink two bottles of whiskey a day. Never get -- rose never even get liver disease made -- in a bar fighter get run over by a virus and have other problems from alcohol. Some people couldn't drink maybe three drinks today from many years and develop cirrhosis it. It's difficult to predict doesn't matter what kind of alcohol person drinks. Now -- much of any alcohol can end up with little damage as long as it's ethyl alcohol not rubbing our."

" it's it's time mounts over years in general although as Howard said it can be lower amongst older more prolonged time and again. It's somewhat of a difference in what you metabolize it. Easily remain."

" It dancing in -- Part time is there a difference between men and women in need the incidence of lung liver disease from alcohol. I'd there are several studies that suggest that women will -- Oakland diseases less common in women because women tend to drink less than men. But several studies suggest that women who drink smaller amounts. Many get alcoholic liver disease. As opposed to men amendment have to drink more to get liver disease than women some studies suggest that. Why is that. It's not entirely clear some cities -- suggests suggested that men may break down alcohol more readily in their stomach as opposed to women -- for. Yeah alcohol gets into the circulation who delivered men -- breakdown more alcohol -- women. Which are not saying I didn't mention don't drink more than their wives or girlfriends. They can handle and I felt could be on one given occasion -- not under regular business."

" Well and that begs the question of how much is too much. I know it is variable but is there any general rule that a person can follow up north they're drinking too much alcohol."

" I think it's. Hard. To predict that because people don't tend to measure the amount they'll call me drinking any given drinking even lines there's a variety of alcohol content here are the content theories and different lines and different drinks that you take so it's very hard to keep track of -- I was going for it. Certainly anyone who's drinking. Or several or many drinks daily news probably drinking too much."

" On a daily base and doing anything general one may be two drinks a day is not going to make. Problems but once you start getting above that wanted to drink today limit it's very hard to. Predict if you might have liver problems and then of course we should emphasize that alcohol affects other organs -- deliberative. So that if you drink too much alcohol. You can when a little hole host of problems absolutely may be only 10% of alcohol abusers did liver disease. Mountain. The other 90% or series are abusers get many many other problems right. Well doctor Sandra doctor one and thank you very much and thank you for joining our webcast I'm doctor David marks about."