Overweight + Excess Alcohol = Cirrhosis of the Liver
Mon, April 12, 2010 at 02:00AM Two recent studies reported in the British Medical Journal have examined the possible link between excess weight plus heavy alcohol intake and the occurrence of cirrhosis of the liver. Both factors are known to assist in the development of cirrhosis, but the interaction between them has not been well established, until now.
The first study was an analysis of data from two groups of men in Scotland. The 9,600 men, of average age 47 years at entry, were followed for an average of 29 years. There were 80 deaths from liver disease as the main cause, and 146 with liver disease given as ‘any cause’ in the death certificate. Body mass index (BMI) and alcohol consumption were both strongly linked to liver disease deaths. Their effects were not merely additive, but super-additive, or synergistic. Overweight or obese men who drank 15 units or more of alcohol weekly had progressively higher liver-related mortality, compared with under- or normal-weight men; relative rates were 3.2 times for under- or normal-weight, 7.0 times for overweight, and 18.9 times for obese men, compared with corresponding non-alcohol drinkers.
The second study used National Health Service data from 1.2 million women, average age 56, who were followed for an average of 6 years. First hospital admissions or deaths from cirrhosis were the end-points of interest. For women who drank less than 70 grams of alcohol a week (about 0.4 drinks a day) the risk for cirrhosis was 0.8 per 1,000 in women with a normal BMI, and 1.0 for those who were obese. But for those who drank 150 grams or more weekly (i.e. one or more drinks a day) the risk for cirrhosis was 2.7 per 1,000 for normal-weight and 5.0 per 1,000 for obese women.
These numbers speak for themselves. Clearly, being a heavy drinker and obese presents a considerable health risk for the development of cirrhosis, with its attendant serious – often lethal – complications.
Reader Comments (1)
I'm happy I came across this information. I've been studying fatty liver disease and the contributing factors to fatty liver. It's very clear that obesity combined with excessive alcohol consumption is extremely detrimental to the liver. However, each seems to be detrimental by itself as well.
Hopefully these types of statistics can help people take action to improve their liver health!