Lower risk of liver injury by moderate drinkers with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

The findings of this large study examining the association of lifetime alcohol consumption and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease show that low to moderate intake of alcoholic beverages is associated with a lower risk of liver fibrosis.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the world’s most prevalent liver disease. Most subjects have a benign course of disease, however, some individuals develop liver fibrosis which can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. The impact of alcohol consumption on NAFLD is controversial. Swedish researchers examined the impact of lifetime alcohol consumption on the severity of fibrosis stage in individuals with NAFLD. The results indicated that lifetime low-to-moderate intake of alcoholic beverages – up to 13 units per week- was associated with lower stages of fibrosis.

(*) liver fibrosis: Liver fibrosisLiver fibrosis is the scarring process that represents the liver’s response to injury. In the same... is the scarring process that represents the liver’s response to injury. In the same way as skin and other organs heal wounds through deposition of collagen and other matrix constituents, repairs the liver injury by depositing new collagen. Over time, this process can result in liver cirrhosis, where the blood flow through the liver and liver function become disrupted. 

Hagström H, Nasr P, Ekstedt M et al, Low to moderate lifetime alcohol consumption is associated with less advanced stages of fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, Scandinavian J Gastroenterology, DOI: 10.1080/00365521.2016.1239759

For more information about this article, read the scientific abstract here.