Author: Alex Thompson

Effect of alcohol consumption on kidney function: population-based cohort study Scientific Reports

The follow-up time for each participant was defined as the time from the UKB baseline assessment date for each participant until 31 March 2015. Supplementary Table S1 lists the UKB data fields used in our analyses. We have described details about the blood pressure phenotype previously 16. Where multiple values for blood pressure existed, we used the mean of all available measurements.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

The eGFR was calculated according to the CKD-EPI (Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration) equation17. The large sample size of the UKB in addition to its rich phenotyping provides optimal statistical power to investigate the relationship between genetic factors and complex outcomes. The use of individual-level data allowed us to investigate the effect of potential confounders and perform subgroup analyses. Additionally, our GRS for alcohol consumption was created based on a total of 105 SNPs identified from the two largest-scale GWAS meta-analysis studies for alcohol consumption thus far 12,13. Yet, these SNPs (although the largest currently available) capture less than 1% of the total variation in alcohol consumption 13.

2. Study Population and Exclusion Criteria

Because alcohol is a depressant, it can also contribute to mental health conditions, like anxiety and depression. Research indicates that heavy alcohol use can also increase the risk of suicide. “The good news is that earlier stages of steatotic liver disease are usually completely reversible in about four to six weeks if you abstain from drinking alcohol,” Dr. Sengupta assures. Alcohol consumption irritates the lining of the stomach and intestines.

1. This can lead to conditions like stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s disease, and multiple sclerosis (MS).
2. Damaged DNA can cause a cell to grow out of control, which results in cancerous tumors.
3. Ask your healthcare provider if it is safe for you to drink, especially if you have a medical condition or take medicines that might be affected by using alcohol.
4. The use of individual-level data allowed us to investigate the effect of potential confounders and perform subgroup analyses.
5. In brief, the DASH score was calculated using the UKB self-reported food questionnaire at baseline.

Your liver produces enzymes that break down alcohol, but your liver can only handle so much alcohol at one time (approximately 1 ounce per hour). For more information about alcohol’s effects on the body, please visit the Interactive Body feature on NIAAA’s College Drinking Prevention website. For more information about alcohol and cancer, please visit the National Cancer Institute’s webpage “Alcohol and Cancer Risk” (last accessed June 6, 2024). This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article. Nonfatal and fatal records of CVD were extracted from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES).

Sensitivity analysis: further adjustment for other variables on health conditions that could affect alcohol consumption

We have described the definitions and methods for assessment of CVD events in detail previously 16. In summary, CVD was defined as an episode of stroke, myocardial infarction, or coronary heart disease. Long-term alcohol use can change your brain’s wiring in much more significant ways. Pancreatitis can be a short-term (acute) condition that clears up in a few days.

Cirrhosis, on the other hand, is irreversible and can lead to liver failure and liver cancer, even if you abstain from alcohol. If alcohol continues to accumulate in your system, it can destroy cells and, eventually, damage your organs. But when you ingest too much alcohol for your liver to process in a timely manner, a buildup of toxic substances begins to take a toll on your liver. Your liver detoxifies and removes alcohol from your blood through a process known as oxidation. When your liver finishes that process, alcohol gets turned into water and carbon dioxide.

To avoid sample overlap with the UKB data, we specifically extracted the effect estimates from the summary statistics excluding UKB and 23andMe provided by Liu et al. 13. We also checked that this summary statistics dataset used the same genome build assembly (GRCh37) as the UKB genotype data 14. To calculate the GRS, we multiplied the effect estimates by the number of risk alleles each UKB participant carries on the alcohol SNPs. The products were then summed across all SNPs to produce an overall weighted GRS for each participant. The Townsend deprivation score used UK national census data on car ownership, household overcrowding, owner-occupation, and unemployment for each UK region/area 21.

Short-term and long-term effects of alcohol can negatively impact the mind and body, despite any potential benefits. Every person has their own reasons for drinking or wanting to reduce their alcohol consumption. Depending on how much you have been drinking, your body may experience physical and psychological changes as you reduce your intake, known as withdrawal. Alcohol use can exacerbate mental health conditions, like anxiety and depression, or lead to their onset. Alcohol use can damage the hippocampus, the part of your brain responsible for memory and learning. Some studies have found that even light or moderate drinking can lead to some deterioration of the hippocampus.

Find science-based information on the effects of alcohol on health.

Your central nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord, and neurons that communicate messages throughout your body. It powers key functions and processes like movement, memory, speech, thought processes, and more. Your immune system works to keep you as healthy as possible by fighting off foreign invaders, such as viruses, bacteria, and toxins. To your body, alcohol is a toxin that interrupts your immune system’s ability to do its job, thereby compromising its function.

A decrease in urinary sodium upon administration of ethanol was observed since decades ago 44. For example, rats who were sedated using ethanol had a lower urinary sodium and higher plasma concentration of sodium compared to the control group. This suggests that ethanol has an impact on sodium retention, and it likely occurs through the kidneys as sodium retention in plasma occurs at the same time as a decrease in urinary sodium excretion. In our causal inference analysis using MR, we found similar findings and showed that alcohol consumption decreases urinary sodium. When you drink heavily, your kidneys have to work harder to filter out the alcohol.

What Are the Long-Term Effects of Alcohol on the Body?

Alcohol causes changes in the function of the kidneys and makes them less able to filter the blood. Alcohol also affects the ability to regulate fluid and electrolytes in the body. When alcohol dehydrates (dries out) the body, the drying effect can affect the normal function of cells and organs, including the kidneys.