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Excessive
alcohol consumption may endanger your life!
Alcohol in different forms is part of our culture; one to two glasses
of red wine even prevent cardiovascular diseases. If consumed in
excess, however, alcohol can lead to severe dependence. Even in the
absence of dependence, in some individuals normal alcohol consumption
can lead to severe liver damage. Whether you have a problem with your
alcohol consumption can be detected by answering the four questions of
the CAGE test:
- C cut down: Have you ever tried to cut down on your
drinking?
- A annoyed: Have
you or your relatives been annoyed by your drinking?
- G guilty: Do
you sometimes feel guilty because of your drinking?
- E eye opener: Do you need an eye-opener to start your
day?
If you answer two of these questions with yes you are likely to be a
problem drinker and should seek professional help.
Even if you are not a problem drinker, you might develop
alcohol-induced liver disease which can lead to cirrhosis. If you:
- Consume alcohol every day
- Are regularly told that your liver enzymes are
abnormal
- And have no other liver disease
You might belong to the unfortunate people whose liver reacts even to
small doses of alcohol. An Italian study has shown that this can even
start at the low dose of 30 g of alcohol/day (corresponding to two
beers, 2 dl of wine or a strong drink).
If you belong to this group and develop severe liver disease there is
good news nevertheless: If you abstain completely from alcohol, your
liver can recover completely. |
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Stiftung
für
Leberkrankheiten
Institut für Klinische Pharmakologie
Universität Bern
Murtenstrasse 35,
Postfach 49
3010 Bern
0041 (0)31 632 31 91
Info@leberstiftung.ch |
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