Cited by 63Alcohol Consumption and Health EffectsLiver Disease Diagnosis and TreatmentSubstance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes

Interaction between alcohol use and metabolic risk factors for liver disease: a critical review of epidemiological studies

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Åberg, Fredrik, Färkkilä, Martti, Männistö, Ville·2020·Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research

Abstract

Coexistence of alcohol use and metabolic risk-the 2 commonest population risk factors for nonviral chronic liver disease-is a growing concern. Clinical evidence and mechanistic evidence point to considerable supraadditive interaction effects for the development and progression of chronic liver disease between hazardous alcohol use and metabolic abnormalities including obesity, diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Intermittent binge drinking once monthly or more often seems to be associated with progression of liver disease even when average alcohol intake is within the currently allowed limits for a diagnosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and supraadditive interaction between binge drinking and the MetS has been reported. There are contradictory findings regarding the association between low alcohol use and liver steatosis, but, clearly, the mechanisms of alcoholic hepatotoxicity extend beyond simple fat accumulation. The presence of liver steatosis seems to amplify alcoholic hepatotoxicity. Recent longitudinal studies of NAFLD subjects report low alcohol use associated with both increased fibrosis progression and an elevated risk for liver cancer and severe liver disease. There is no clear safe limit of alcohol intake in the presence of NAFLD or metabolic risk. The interaction effects between alcohol and metabolic dysfunction merit increased attention in public health policy, individual counseling, and risk stratification. Based on current evidence, a strict dichotomization of liver disease into either pure alcoholic or nonalcoholic may be inappropriate.

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  • There may be synergy between alcohol consumption and the presence of metabolic risk factors for liver disease progression, with the strongest effect for central obesity.

    “Equally important may be the possible synergy between alcohol consumption and the presence of metabolic risk factors for liver disease progression, 75,83 with the strongest effect for central obesity.”

    From EASL-EASD-EASO Clinical Practice Guidelines on the management of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). (2024) · cites this paper as [83]

    The Abstract and ‘Interaction Between Hazardous Alcohol Use and Metabolic Risk’ section support possible synergy between alcohol use and metabolic risk factors in liver disease. The latter section says the interaction appears stronger when obesity is measured by waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio than by BMI, but it does not establish that central obesity has the strongest effect among all metabolic risk factors. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Rothman K (2002) Measuring interactions, in Epidemiology: An Introduc- tion, Vol. 1 (Rothman K ed), pp. 168-180. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.

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Authors
Åberg, F., Färkkilä, M., & Männistö, V.
Affiliations
  • University of Helsinki (FI)
  • Helsinki University Hospital (FI)
  • University of Eastern Finland (FI)
Corresponding author
Åberg, Fredrik
Venue
Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2020-01-09
Volume
44
Issue
2
Pages
384-403
ISSN
  • 0145-6008 (ISSN-L)
  • 1530-0277
OpenAlex
W2995840669
Cited by
63
References
97
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 2
FWCI
0.86
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Pure Amsterdam UMC (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
  • Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Alcohol Consumption and Health Effects
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
Keywords
alcohol consumption, metabolic risk factors, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, chronic liver disease, binge drinking, metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes mellitus, hepatic steatosis, liver fibrosis progression, liver cancer, risk stratification
MeSH terms
Alcohol Drinking, Clinical Trials as Topic, Humans, Liver Cirrhosis, Liver Diseases, Liver Diseases, Alcoholic, Liver Neoplasms, Obesity, Risk Factors, Epidemiologic Studies, Metabolic Syndrome, Binge Drinking, Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

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