Measurement of food and alcohol intake in relation to chronic liver disease

2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 285-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy L Wrieden ◽  
Annie S Anderson

It is well established that the consumption of alcohol is implicated in both the cause and progression of chronic liver disease. The quantity of drink that is consumed, the pattern of drinking and type of alcoholic beverages consumed are all possible factors in disease aetiology. The impact of specific dietary components on the cause and progression of chronic liver disease is unclear although it is known that obesity, and hence the over-consumption of energy, is a predictor of fatty liver. Work to elucidate the role of both diet and alcohol in the aetiology of liver disease is hindered by the methods currently available to measure dietary (including alcohol) intake. The validity and reliability of retrospective methods of assessing diet are limited by their reliance on memory and, for the 24 h recall, the short-time period of intake assessed and its inability to assess variability across the week. Prospective methods which measure food and drink intake at the time of consumption, and include weighed or estimated food diaries, are useful for prospective cohort studies but are expensive and have a high respondent burden. For estimation of alcohol intake retrospectively, the Cognitive Lifetime Drinking questionnaire, which prompts responses using a lifetime calendar, is a useful tool but still depends on memory. More work is required to develop valid, reliable and easily administered tools for measurement of both diet and alcohol.

Gut ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 845-850 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Bellentani ◽  
G Saccoccio ◽  
G Costa ◽  
C Tiribelli ◽  
F Manenti ◽  
...  

Background—The Dionysos Study is a cohort study of the prevalence of chronic liver disease in the general population of two northern Italian communities. It included 6917 subjects, aged 12–65 (69% of the total population).Aims—The aim of this part of the study was to examine the relationship of daily alcohol intake, type of alcoholic beverage consumed, and drinking patterns to the presence of alcohol induced liver damage in an open population.Patients and methods—6534 subjects, free of virus related chronic liver disease and participating in the first cross-sectional part of the study, were fully examined. Each subject underwent: (a) medical history and physical examination, (b) evaluation of alcohol intake using an illustrated dietary questionnaire, and (c) routine blood tests. More invasive diagnostic procedures were performed when indicated.Results—Multivariate analysis showed that the risk threshold for developing either cirrhosis or non-cirrhotic liver damage (NCLD) was ingestion of more than 30 g alcohol per day in both sexes. Using this definition, 1349 individuals (21% of the population studied) were at risk. Of these, only 74 (5.5% of the individuals at risk) showed signs of liver damage. The prevalence of “pure” alcoholic cirrhosis was 0.43% (30 of 6917), representing 2.2% of the individuals at risk, with a ratio of men to women of 9:1, while 44 (3.3% of the individuals at risk) showed persistent signs of NCLD. After 50 years of age, the cumulative risk of developing both NCLD and cirrhosis was significantly higher (p<0.0001) for those individuals who regularly drank alcohol both with and without food than for those who drank only at mealtimes.Conclusions—Our data show that in an open population the risk threshold for developing cirrhosis and NCLD is 30 g ethanol/day, and this risk increases with increasing daily intake. Drinking alcohol outside mealtimes and drinking multiple different alcoholic beverages both increase the risk of developing alcohol induced liver damage.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 175628482110234
Author(s):  
Mario Romero-Cristóbal ◽  
Ana Clemente-Sánchez ◽  
Patricia Piñeiro ◽  
Jamil Cedeño ◽  
Laura Rayón ◽  
...  

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) with acute respiratory distress syndrome is a life-threatening condition. A previous diagnosis of chronic liver disease is associated with poorer outcomes. Nevertheless, the impact of silent liver injury has not been investigated. We aimed to explore the association of pre-admission liver fibrosis indices with the prognosis of critically ill COVID-19 patients. Methods: The work presented was an observational study in 214 patients with COVID-19 consecutively admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Pre-admission liver fibrosis indices were calculated. In-hospital mortality and predictive factors were explored with Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analysis. Results: The mean age was 59.58 (13.79) years; 16 patients (7.48%) had previously recognised chronic liver disease. Up to 78.84% of patients according to Forns, and 45.76% according to FIB-4, had more than minimal fibrosis. Fibrosis indices were higher in non-survivors [Forns: 6.04 (1.42) versus 4.99 (1.58), p < 0.001; FIB-4: 1.77 (1.17) versus 1.41 (0.91), p = 0.020)], but no differences were found in liver biochemistry parameters. Patients with any degree of fibrosis either by Forns or FIB-4 had a higher mortality, which increased according to the severity of fibrosis ( p < 0.05 for both indexes). Both Forns [HR 1.41 (1.11–1.81); p = 0.006] and FIB-4 [HR 1.31 (0.99–1.72); p = 0.051] were independently related to survival after adjusting for the Charlson comorbidity index, APACHE II, and ferritin. Conclusion: Unrecognised liver fibrosis, assessed by serological tests prior to admission, is independently associated with a higher risk of death in patients with severe COVID-19 admitted to the ICU.


2001 ◽  
Vol 96 (7) ◽  
pp. 2199-2205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zobair M Younossi ◽  
Navdeep Boparai ◽  
Lori Lyn Price ◽  
Michelle L Kiwi ◽  
Marilyn McCormick ◽  
...  

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. e0252218
Author(s):  
Sónia Bernardo ◽  
Ricardo Crespo ◽  
Sofia Saraiva ◽  
Rui Barata ◽  
Sara Gonçalves ◽  
...  

Background Most long-term heavy drinkers do not have clinically evident chronic liver disease (CLD). However, at any time-point, their risk of developing CLD remains unknown. We aimed to evaluate the long-term outcomes of a group of heavy drinkers, without evidence of CLD at baseline. Methods A cohort of 123 long-term heavy drinkers without CLD were prospectively recruited in 2002 and retrospectively followed until 2018. Results At baseline (2002), median alcohol consumption was 271±203g/day during 21.5±20 years, 65% being abstinent during the previous 1.75±5 months. Patients were followed for 14±3 years. During follow-up, 53% reported any alcohol intake. Alcohol consumption during follow-up associated weakly with either 1- or 6-months previous abstinence at baseline. Until 2018, progression to CLD occurred in 6%, associating with years of alcohol intake during follow-up (OR 1.15 [1.01–1.31]) and baseline alkaline-phosphatase (OR 1.05 [1.01–1.10]). During follow-up, being abstinent for at least 1 year positively associated with CLD-free survival. 27% died (55% of cancer–mostly oropharyngeal cancer, 27% of cardiovascular disease, and 9% of liver disease), with a mean age of 71 years [69–74] (10 years less than the expected in the Portuguese population). Achieving abstinence for at least 1 year positively associated with overall survival, while smoking, and hepatic steatosis at baseline associated negatively. Conclusion Long-term heavy drinkers seemed to have a decreased life expectancy compared with the overall Portuguese population. Cancer was the main cause of death. Our results suggest that progression to CLD depends mostly on continued alcohol intake. Alcohol abstinence, even if temporary, seems to decrease the risks of CLD and mortality.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fakhar Ali Qazi Arisar ◽  
Muhammad Kamran ◽  
Ramlah Nadeem ◽  
Wasim Jafri

Background: Chronic liver disease (CLD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is accountable for a multifaceted disease encumbrance upsetting the psychological, physical, and economic health of not only the patients but also their caregivers. Objectives: The study purposes to cover the economic aspect of CLD to comprehend the financial burden imposed on the patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. The CLD patients presenting in gastroenterology clinics were recruited, and their socio-demographic, financial, and disease-related information including Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score and Child Turcotte Pugh (CTP) scores were collected. Out of 190 CLD patients enrolled, 127 (67.2%) were males. The mean age was 50.09 years. Variables assessed include self-perceived social/economic status, self-perception of disease responsibility for worsening of social/economic situation, the impact of the disease on economic status due to medical expense, the impact of economic status on treatment compliance due to medical expenses, impact of severity of disease on socioeconomic status and treatment compliance, and impact of gender on disease status and treatment compliance. Results: Regardless of the disease duration, CLD significantly impacted a patient’s life, as 81% and 69% of the patients blamed their disease responsible for the worsening of social and economic conditions, respectively. In our study, 85% of patients had consumed all savings during their course of illness, and 67% had to borrow money for medical expenses. Nearly half of the patients had to leave or cut short their medicines, skip the physician's appointment, or defer their children's education. One-third of patients had unpaid medical and utility bills or even skipped their meals. The severity of disease affected the socioeconomic status significantly (89% in CTP class C vs. 40% in CTP class A). Patients with worsening socioeconomic status had significantly higher MELD scores as compared to those with stable socioeconomic status. Conclusions: Chronic liver disease imposes incredible socioeconomic encumbrance on patients and the family unit, and CLD associated expenditures influence the family unit’s everyday working and therapeutic compliance, which is directly linked to the severity of disease expressed in terms of CTP and MELD scores.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenichi Fudeyasu ◽  
Takuo Nomura ◽  
Toshihiro Kawae ◽  
Daisuke Iwaki ◽  
Yuki Nakashima ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Although it has already been reported that chronic liver disease (CLD) can induce sarcopenia, the impact of sarcopenia, especially on motor function, in older patients with CLD is still unclear. Therefore, we investigated the effects of liver fibrosis on motor function in these patients.Methods: In all, 117 older patients with CLD aged above 60 years (men, n=70; women, n=47) were included in this study. We examined the presence or absence of sarcopenia and checked motor functions such as muscle strength and walking speed. The results were compared between patients with FIB-4 index of >3.25, indicative of severe-degree liver fibrosis (SLF), and those with an index of <3.25, indicative of low-degree liver fibrosis (LLF). We also analyzed the factors related to the decrease in gait speed.Results: The decrease in gait speed (<1.0 m/s) was significantly higher (P = 0.027) and the knee extension force (KEF) was significantly lower (P = 0.010) in men with SLF than in those with LLF. In this study, liver fibrosis (odds ratio [OR] = 0.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.56–0.90) and KEF (OR = 1.09, 95% CI = 1.02–1.16) were identified as factors associated with the decrease in gait speed.Conclusions: Older male patients with CLD have decreased motor function as the disease progresses. We found that the decrease in gait speed is related to liver fibrosis and KEF. It is necessary to focus on the motor function of older patients with CLD, especially the gait speed.


Author(s):  
Jesse Sheftel ◽  
Sherry A Tanumihardjo

ABSTRACT Vitamin A (VA) is an essential nutrient often lacking in the diets of people in developing countries. Accurate biomarkers of VA status are vital to inform public health policy and monitor interventions. The relative dose-response (RDR) and modified-RDR (MRDR) tests are semi-quantitative screening tests for VA deficiency that have been used in Demographic and Health Surveys and VA intervention studies. A systematic review and meta-analysis of sensitivity and specificity were conducted to summarize the physiological evidence to support the RDR tests as methods to assess VA status and investigate the impact of different pathological and physiological states on the tests. A total of 190 studies were screened for inclusion, with 21 studies comparing the RDR tests with the gold-standard biomarker, liver VA concentration (68% and 80% sensitivity and 85% and 69% specificity for the RDR and MRDR, respectively). Nearly all studies with VA interventions in VA-deficient populations demonstrated a response of the tests to VA intake that would be expected to improve VA status. The impacts of chronic liver disease, protein malnutrition, age, pregnancy and lactation, infection and inflammation, and various other conditions were examined in 51 studies. The RDR and MRDR tests were reported to have been used in 39 observational studies, and the MRDR has been used in at least 6 national micronutrient surveys. The RDR and MRDR are sensitive tests for determining population VA status and assessing VA interventions. Although they are robust to most physiological and pathological states, caution may be warranted when using the tests in neonates, individuals with chronic liver disease, and those with protein or iron malnutrition. Research on further improvements to the tests to increase accessibility, such as sampling breast milk instead of blood or using intramuscular doses in subjects with malabsorption, will allow wider adoption. This review was registered with PROSPERO as CRD42019124180.


2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 308-313
Author(s):  
Silvio Veraldi ◽  
Andrea Pietrobattista ◽  
Daniela Liccardo ◽  
Maria Sole Basso ◽  
Antonella Mosca ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (10) ◽  
pp. 1766-1776
Author(s):  
Min Kim ◽  
Changhu Lee ◽  
Dae Yun Seo ◽  
Hyojung Lee ◽  
Jay D. Horton ◽  
...  

Abstract Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease and can lead to multiple complications, including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The fibrotic liver is characterized by the pathological accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. Type VI collagen alpha3 (Col6a3) is a biomarker of hepatic fibrosis, and its cleaved form, endotrophin (ETP), plays a critical role in adipose tissue dysfunction, insulin resistance, and breast cancer development. Here, we studied the effects of the Col6a3-derived peptide ETP on the progression of chronic liver diseases, such as NASH and liver cancer. We used a doxycycline (Dox)-inducible liver-specific ETP-overexpressing mouse model on a NAFLD-prone (liver-specific SREBP1a transgenic) background. For this, we evaluated the consequences of local ETP expression in the liver and its effect on hepatic inflammation, fibrosis, and insulin resistance. Accumulation of ETP in the liver induced hepatic inflammation and the development of fibrosis with associated insulin resistance. Surprisingly, ETP overexpression also led to the emergence of liver cancer within 10 months in the SREBP1a transgenic background. Our data revealed that ETP can act as a “second hit” during the progression of NAFLD and can play an important role in the development of NASH and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). These observations firmly link elevated levels of ETP to chronic liver disease.


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