Side Effect of Alcohol on the Liver - Essay Example

'Side Effect of Alcohol on the Liver' is a wonderful example of a paper on addiction. 
In this article, Daniel Fullwood explores various side effects associated with alcohol consumption. He examines alcohol liver damage and how alcohol consumption is a major cause of preventable death in Europe and the United States. The research confirms that there is an increased alcohol-related mortality rate of 6.7 per 1000 in 1991 to 13.6 per 1000 in 2008 for males and 5 per 1000 in 1991 and 8.7 per 1000 in 2008 for females. The expenditure on alcohol-related complications has increased from €1.7 billion in 2003 to €2.7 billion in 2008. This explains how the fatal alcohol-induced injury is to the health management system in the United Kingdom alone.

Alcohol path physiology is described as involving the liver and the bile duct resulting in the observed manifestation of alcohol side effects. Alcohol is metabolized in the body through two distinct pathways. First, alcohol can be metabolized through alcohol dehydrogenase to acetaldehyde and finally by acetaldehyde dehydrogenase to acetate that is excreted in the urine. Another pathway is through cytochrome P450 enzymes. Alcohol side effects occur as a result of liver incapacity to metabolize all the consumed alcohol resulting from overconsumption of alcohol effectively. As a result, the liver acetaldehyde level increases and lead to the manifestation of various side effects. Accumulation of acetaldehyde in the liver leads to fatty liver, inflammation and other hepatocyte damage. The alcohol use disorder that occurs can be identified through the Alcohol User Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). The identification of the disorder utilizes a questionnaire, and a score of above eight confirms the disorder.

In assessing the alcohol disorder, several test related to the liver function test and the bile duct damage is determined. Due to the liver cell damage, there is an imbalance in the production of the liver aminotransferase enzymes, namely the Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). The alcohol-induced hepatocyte damage causes increased AST production from damaged cells of the liver. AST: ALT ratio of 2:1 and above confirms the liver damage. Also, assessing the level of Gamma-glutamyltransferase levels produced by damaged cells of the bile duct also indicates the degree of alcohol consumption side effects to the bile cells. An Increase in GGT levels indicates a high level of alcohol use disorder. From the assessment, profiles obtained the severity of alcohol side effects can be determined and treated appropriately. The degree of damage is potentiated by several factors such as the presence of viral hepatitis infections, level, and duration of alcohol consumption and gender where females are more susceptible to alcohol-induced damages.

From the research, it’s indicated that alcohol disorder progresses through three distinct phases. An Increase in alcohol consumption results in fatty liver and further consumption leads to hepatocyte inflammation that eventually gives rise to liver cirrhosis ad fibrosis. Termination of heavy alcohol consumption results in withdrawal symptoms that are manifested by delirium tremens, seizure and muscle weakness. It’s proven that there is a need to involve specialized health personnel in the management of alcohol-induced side effects to facilitate efficient management of alcohol disorder. The research concludes that alcohol disorder is indeed a serious health concern, and only abstinence can manage it.