Drinking alcohol can significantly increase the risk of severe liver damage if you have a large belly or diabetes, according to a recent study conducted in the US. The research also revealed that individuals with high blood pressure who consume alcohol have nearly double the risk of liver damage.
“People are going to do exactly what they shouldn’t do, and poison themselves during the Super Bowl,” Freeman said.
Dr. Andrew Freeman, the director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado, emphasized the importance of this finding, especially with the upcoming Super Bowl Sunday. Dr. Freeman, who was not part of the study, warned about the health risks associated with indulging in processed meats like hot dogs, sausages, bacon, pepperoni, and ham, which are known to pose a similar cancer risk as cigarettes.
He explained that during events like football games where people tend to consume these processed, high-fat, and high-sugar foods, it can lead to insulin resistance due to the excessive intake of insulin-triggering items. This cascade effect includes elevated blood sugar levels and the accumulation of fat in the liver, ultimately increasing the risk of liver damage.
“Then if you’re drinking on top of it, it just amplifies the risk.”
Nearly half of all Americans have high blood pressure, more than 1 in 3 have pre-diabetes, while about 40 per cent of the population is considered obese, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
These health conditions contribute to a build up of fat in the liver, experts say, which can then lead to fibrosis, or scarring of the liver.
“Most people don’t realize this, but before one develops diabetes, for example, they typically first develop fatty liver,” Freeman said.
“It has to do with sugar dysregulation — when you have high blood sugars, your liver is storing fat to get rid of some of that sugar, and it’s that excess fat that impairs liver function.”
Separately, drinking damages liver cells trying to metabolise alcohol and can lead to additional fat buildup.
The inflammation and scarring caused by excess fat may eventually lead to cirrhosis, which increases the risk of liver failure and liver cancer.
This double whammy of fatty deposits may be a reason behind the significant increase in liver scarring the study found among moderate to heavy drinkers with chronic conditions, said lead study author Dr Brian Lee, an associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine.
“The results identify a very high-risk segment of the population prone to liver disease and suggest that pre-existing health issues may have a large impact on how alcohol affects the liver,” Lee said in a statement.
Just because a person may not have a big belly, high blood pressure or diabetes does not mean that it’s safe for people to heavily consume alcohol, Lee said.
“We know that alcohol is toxic to the liver and all heavy drinkers are at risk for advanced liver disease,” Lee said.
What is a ‘heavy’ drinker?
Of those, over 2,200 were categorised as “heavy” drinkers.
In the study, women who drank more than 20 grams or more a day and men who drank 30 grams or more a day were defined as heavy drinkers.
That’s equivalent to 141ml of wine with 12 per cent alcohol, a 340ml)can of beer that is five per cent alcohol or one shot of liquor (80 proof) or distilled spirts.
Most people don’t realize they are pouring drinks that far exceed those standards, experts say.
“If you look at what people drink with dinner or as a cocktail, they’re filling up their glass with three or four ounces,(88 to 118ml).” Freeman said.
“If a restaurant came out and poured you five ounces of wine (145ml) , you’d complain that they didn’t fill your glass.
“People are probably drinking much more than they realize.”
An alarming number of new studies are finding that any amount of alcohol is dangerous to health.
In January, then-US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a strongly worded advisory about the link between alcohol and cancer.
“Alcohol is a well-established, preventable cause of cancer responsible for about 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the United States – greater than the 13,500 alcohol-associated traffic crash fatalities per year in the US – yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk,” Murthy said.
How to cut back on alcohol
One easy way is to substitute mocktails for alcohol, especially in a social setting where you want to feel part of the party.
If you find mocktails don’t satisfy your urges for alcohol, experts suggest using the SMART method to set attainable goals. The acronym stands for:
1. Specific: Set an achievable goal, such as cutting back on drinking three days a week. You can add days until you reach your final goal.
2. Measurable: How many drinks will you cut — and are you watching the size of your drink?
3. Achievable: Reduce the number of social engagements where alcohol is likely to be served during your move toward becoming alcohol free.
4. Relevant: Ask yourself how not drinking will help you with with life and health.
5. Time based: Set a reasonable time frame to reduce alcohol consumption.
“If you set a bar too high, you may fail, so it’s better to set smaller goals to achieve it,” Dr. Sanam Hafeez, a neuropsychologist based in New York City, told CNN in a prior interview.
To start, Hafeez noted, it’s good to be aware of what you’re already doing: “Nothing starts without an honest conversation with yourself.”
