| Wine Drinkers Risk Cirrhosis Too | |
|
French researchers have found that wine drinkers are just as much at risk for developing cirrhosis of the liver as those who drink liquor and beer in spite of previous studies to the contrary.
Earlier this year Danish researchers reported that the antioxidant properties of wine made wine drinkers 70 percent less likely to develop cirrhosis, but the new French study could not back up this claim.
The French researchers attempted to duplicate the earlier study by surveying 102 male heavy drinkers. Forty-two had cirrhosis and 60 did not have the disease. Each subject was assessed for liver status and questioned about their drinking habits.
The study found that patients with cirrhosis were more likely to prefer wine as their favorite drink than those free of disease and there was no difference in risk between different groups of heavy drinkers for developing cirrhosis.
"In our series, the relative percentage of (pure) alcohol drunk in wine was significantly higher in cirrhotic, than in non-cirrhotic, patients," said Dr. Stephanie Pelletier from the CHU Caremeau Hospital in Nimes, lead author of the study.
The authors suggested that other factors might may also need to be factored into the equation, such as age and genetics. The patients in the study who had developed cirrhosis were older than the healthy subjects.
"Altogether, drinking heavily after the age of 45 might be critical for the liver, particularly, also in view of the age-related immunological disturbances," she said. "In conclusion, wine -- as with other alcoholic beverages -- can lead to alcoholic cirrhosis when consumed heavily."
Cirrhosis of the liver is one of the leading causes of death among chronic alcoholics. Liver damage from cirrhosis cannot be reversed, but treatment can stop or delay further progression and reduce complications.
Dr. Pelletier's research was published in the journal Alcohol & Alcoholism.
Previous Features
