Do drinkers really get liver disease

I know the recommended units and they are very low, but I am wondering if drinking a bottle of wine every night would really give you liver disease.
I say this because most stories you hear of liver disease patients tend to be drinking like a bottle of vodka etc, basically drinking all day.
I know in terms of units a bottle of wine a nigt is about 61 units a week, this sounds a lot compared to the recommended, but I never heard stories of people dying of liver disease from moderate or drinking this amount . I think the government is just trying to scare people. You see people who are alcoholics their whole lives and still living at 50 or 60

Reply 1

Elwyn

Yes, drinking that much alcohol a week will significantly increase your risk of developing alcoholic liver disease. Not only that, but there are a selection of other diseases that alcoholism can lead to, not to mention the social and psychological implications. I'm sure many alcoholics do make it to 50 or 60, but this is unlikely to be without health problems and even then they may not live much longer than that.

Reply 2

moonkatt

You're considered a high risk drinker if you're male and drink more than 50 units a week or female and drink more than 35 units a week. This bottle of wine every night would get you well into this territory.

There's more information about the harm alcohol can cause here: http://www.alcoholconcern.org.uk/concerned-about-alcohol/alcohol-harm

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 3

Rx_Sarcasm

WARNING - a few gross details follow

As an aside, I was in dissection labs a few weeks back, and our kadaver had a liver which was probably the size of my head (and I don't exactly have a tiny head!) which was likely due to cirrhosis caused by chronic alcohol abuse.
Certainly made me rethink my alcohol intake!

People kept coming over to our table to gawk at our liver, and even some of the facilitators were impressed with its size!
Unfortunately the following week fat had started "sweating" out of it, and mold started growing over that, so that was a bit gross :s-smilie:

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 4

Coffinman

Yum yum, human foie gras.

I say this because most stories you hear of liver disease patients tend to be drinking like a bottle of vodka etc, basically drinking all day.

Where is the reliable evidence on this stereotype, anyone?

Reply 5

hslt

Original post by Anonymous

I think the government is just trying to scare people. You see people who are alcoholics their whole lives and still living at 50 or 60

I've seen a couple of people who have drunk around a bottle of wine a day for just a few months (one after a break up of a relationship, another after a bereavement), developed dilated cardiomyopathy, and with that an incredibly poor prognosis.

I also saw a chap today who had drunk about that for years, and was just in hospital for an elective operation - to all intents and purposes superficially very healthy. Although, I wouldn't like to see his liver.

All in all, drink that much if you want, you might get away with it - there is some variability in how people respond, probably partly genetic in origin, but also dependent on your other exposures and your age - but I wouldn't bet on it. And don't think it's just liver disease that might get you - there are a lot more risks than that.