The effect of  the  products of  ethanol metabolism on the  liver – a  review

Abstract

The consequences of consuming excessive amounts of alcoholic beverages are currently an important problem for many societies, not only in the context of treatment of alcohol dependence, but also the health effects of alcohol abuse. Long-term consumption of alcoholic beverages is associated with increased risk of hypertension, ischemic heart disease, also mouth and throat, stomach, liver or large intestine cancer. Due to almost 90% of consumed alcohol being broken down in the liver by oxidative pathways, this organ is particularly vulnerable to the effects of alcohol metabolism. The consequences of alcohol metabolism in the liver is the formation of byproducts, namely acetaldehyde and interaction between acetaldehyde and proteins, lipoproteins, DNA, also formation of reactive oxygen species and markers of inflammation, which can intensify immunological and inflammatory reactions and oxidative stress, thus contributing to the damage of hepatocytes,

Assessment of the Prevalence of Alcoholic Beverage Consumption and Knowledge of the Impact of Alcohol on Health in a Group of Polish Young Adults Aged 18–35: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Consuming alcoholic beverages by young adults is a significant problem not only of a social nature, resulting in injuries, accidents or aggressive behaviour [ 23 ], but also in terms of health, leading to addiction and health consequences, such as liver and kidney diseases, problems with the cardiovascular system or anxiety disorders [ 62 , 63 , 64 ]. Young adults consume alcoholic beverages during heavy drinking sessions, which are defined as the consumption of 60 g or more of pure ethanol consumed at least once a month, with the frequency of heavy drinking sessions highest in those aged 20–24 and especially high among young men [ 2 , 65 ].…”

The level of consumers’ knowledge on the influence of ethyl alcohol on health – a review of literature

“…One of the most likely effects of ethanol abuse is liver damage due to it being the organ responsible for its metabolism. The most common liver diseases include fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis and liver failure [66][67][68][69]. In addition to the most obvious consequences of excessive ethanol consumption, it is worth mentioning the possible development of chronic kidney disease or an increased risk of albuminuria [70].…”