Have Diabetes? Taking Antacids Might Help You Manage Your Blood Sugar
How Alcohol Slowly Affects Your Liver
The liver, one of the most vital organs in the human body, is remarkably resilient yet not impervious to the effects of substances like alcohol. Moderate drinking might seem harmless, but its cumulative impact can be quite profound. In this article, we explore how alcohol slowly affects your liver, revealing the gradual process through which alcohol can alter liver function, potentially leading to serious health issues. This discussion aims to provide not only critical information but also practical advice for those concerned about their alcohol consumption and liver health.
Understanding the liver's roleBefore delving into the effects of alcohol, it's important to understand the crucial roles that the liver plays. Primarily, the liver is responsible for detoxifying harmful substances, metabolizing drugs, aiding in digestion through bile production and storing vitamins and minerals. It's a powerhouse of an organ that performs over 500 essential tasks.
How the liver processes alcoholWhen you consume alcohol, it goes directly to your stomach where it begins to absorb into your bloodstream. The liver then processes most of the alcohol. Enzymes in the liver, primarily alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), break down alcohol into acetaldehyde, a toxic compound that is later converted into harmless water and carbon dioxide. However, this detoxification only works efficiently within the liver's handling capacity.
The gradual impact of alcohol on the liver Initial stages: Fatty liverThe journey toward alcohol-related liver damage begins with what is often a reversible condition known as a fatty liver. This occurs when the liver starts to accumulate large amounts of fat due to alcohol metabolism disrupting the normal handling of dietary fats. Symptoms might not be evident, although the condition is detectable through medical tests. Fatty liver can develop even in individuals who consume only moderate amounts of alcohol but can potentially be reversed with abstinence.
Progressive damage: Alcoholic hepatitisIf alcohol consumption continues, the next stage could be alcoholic hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver. This condition can develop after years of heavy drinking and is characterized by symptoms such as jaundice, abdominal pain, fever and nausea. While mild alcoholic hepatitis might be reversible with cessation of drinking, severe cases can be life-threatening.
Advanced stage: CirrhosisThe most severe impact of prolonged alcohol abuse is cirrhosis, where normal liver tissue is replaced with non-functioning scar tissue. This stage is often the result of years of heavy drinking. Cirrhosis significantly impairs the liver's ability to function, leading to serious complications such as bleeding disorders, kidney failure and liver cancer. Cirrhosis is irreversible and managing it often requires a liver transplant in advanced cases.
Reducing the risk and protecting your liver Monitoring alcohol intakeThe simplest way to prevent alcohol-related liver damage is to monitor and manage your alcohol intake. Health authorities often recommend limiting alcohol consumption to moderate levels — up to one drink per day for women and two for men. Additionally, having alcohol-free days can help the liver recover and reduce the risk of damage.
Importance of diet and exerciseDiet and exercise also play crucial roles in maintaining liver health. A balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, protein and healthy fats can support liver function. Regular physical activity helps to burn triglycerides and reduce liver fat.
Monitoring alcohol intake for health's sakeUnderstanding how alcohol slowly affects your liver is crucial for anyone who consumes alcohol. The effects start from simple fat accumulation to potentially fatal conditions like cirrhosis, underscoring the importance of moderation and mindful drinking habits. By monitoring your alcohol intake, adopting a healthy diet and engaging in regular physical activity, you can protect your liver from the slow and silent damage caused by alcohol. Remember, liver health is not just about avoiding alcohol; it's about embracing a lifestyle that supports your body's natural processes and resilience. Be proactive about your liver health—it's one of the best investments you can make for a long, healthy life.
This story was created using AI technology.
More Women Are Drinking Themselves Sick. The Biden Administration Is Concerned.
When Karla Adkins looked in the rearview mirror of her car one morning nearly 10 years ago, she noticed the whites of her eyes had turned yellow.
She was 36 at the time and working as a physician liaison for a hospital system on the South Carolina coast, where she helped build relationships among doctors. Privately, she had struggled with heavy drinking since her early 20s, long believing that alcohol helped calm her anxieties. She understood that the yellowing of her eyes was evidence of jaundice. Even so, the prospect of being diagnosed with alcohol-related liver disease wasn't her first concern.
"Honestly, the No. 1 fear for me was someone telling me I could never drink again," said Adkins, who lives in Pawleys Island, a coastal town about 30 miles south of Myrtle Beach.
But the drinking had caught up with her: Within 48 hours of that moment in front of the rearview mirror, she was hospitalized, facing liver failure. "It was super fast," Adkins said.
Historically, alcohol use disorder has disproportionately affected men. But recent data from the CDC on deaths from excessive drinking shows that rates among women are climbing faster than they are among men. The Biden administration considers this trend alarming, with one new estimate predicting women will account for close to half of alcohol-associated liver disease costs in the U.S. By 2040, a $66 billion total price tag.
It's a high-priority topic for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA), which together will release updated national dietary guidelines next year. But with marketing for alcoholic beverages increasingly geared toward women, and social drinking already a huge part of American culture, change isn't something everyone may be ready to raise a glass to.
"This is a touchy topic," said Rachel Sayko Adams, PhD, MPH, a research associate professor at the Boston University School of Public Health. "There is no safe level of alcohol use," she said. "That's, like, new information that people didn't want to know."
Over the past 50 years, women have increasingly entered the workforce and delayed motherhood, which likely has contributed to the problem as women historically drank less when they became mothers.
"Parenthood tended to be this protective factor," but that's not always the case anymore, said Adams, who studies addiction.
More than 600,000 people in the U.S. Died from causes related to alcohol from 1999 to 2020, according to research published in JAMA Network Open last year, positioning alcohol among the leading causes of preventable death in this country behind tobacco, poor diet and physical inactivity, and illegal drugs.
The World Health Organization and various studies have found that no amount of alcohol is safe for human health. Even light drinking has been linked to health concerns, like hypertension and coronary artery disease and an increased risk of breast and other cancers.
More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic "significantly exacerbated" binge-drinking, said George Koob, PhD, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism at the National Institutes of Health, as people used alcohol to cope with stress. That is particularly true of women, who are more likely to drink alcohol because of stress than men, he said.
But women are also frequently the focus of gender-targeted advertising for alcoholic beverages. The growth of rosé sales and low-calorie wines, for example, has exploded in recent years. New research published by the International Journal of Drug Policy in February found that the "pinking of products is a tactic commonly used by the alcohol industry to target the female market."
Also at play is the emergence of a phenomenon largely perpetuated by women on social media that makes light of drinking to deal with the difficulties of motherhood. The misperception of "mommy wine culture," said Adams, is that "if you can drink in a normal way, a moderate way, if you can handle your alcohol, you're fine."
And while it's unclear to what extent memes and online videos influence women's drinking habits, the topic merits further study, said Adams, who with colleagues last year found that women without children at age 35 are still at the highest risk for binge-drinking and alcohol use disorder symptoms among all age groups of women. But over the past two decades, the research concluded, the risk is escalating for both childless women and mothers.
These factors at play, coupled with the pressure to fit in, can make excessive drinking a difficult conversation to broach. "It's a very taboo topic," Adams said.
And when it does come up, said Stephanie Garbarino, MD, a transplant hepatologist at Duke Health, it's often surprising how many patients are unaware how their drinking affects their health.
"Often, they didn't know there was anything wrong with what they're doing," she said. She is more frequently seeing younger patients with liver disease, including men and women in their 20s and 30s.
And public health and addiction experts fear that alcohol-related liver disease among women will become a costly issue for the nation to address. Women accounted for 29% of all costs associated with the disease in the U.S. In 2022 and are expected to account for 43% by 2040, estimated a new analysis published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology in February.
National dietary guidelines advise women to drink no more than one alcoholic drink a day. Those guidelines are up for a five-year review next year by the USDA and HHS, which has called a special committee to examine, among other questions, the relationship between alcohol consumption and cancer risks. The report will be made public in 2025.
When Canada published guidance in 2023 advising that drinking any more than two alcoholic beverages a week carried health risks, Koob sparked backlash when his comments to the Daily Mail suggested that U.S. Guidelines might move in the same direction. The CDC report published in February suggested that an increase in alcohol taxes could help reduce excessive alcohol use and deaths. Koob's office would not comment on such policies.
It's a topic close to Adkins' heart. She now works as a coach to help others -- mostly women -- stop drinking, and said the pandemic prompted her to publish a book about her near-death experience from liver failure. And while Adkins lives with cirrhosis, this September will mark 10 years since her last drink.
"The amazing thing is, you can't get much worse from where I got," said Adkins. "My hope is really to change the narrative."
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF -- an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.
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What Is Pancreatic Cancer?
Medically reviewed by Gagandeep Brar, MD
Pancreatic cancer develops when abnormal cells in the pancreas grow and divide uncontrollably, forming a tumor. The pancreas is a glandular organ nestled between the stomach and the spine that produces digestive enzymes that break down food and hormones (e.G., insulin) that help control your blood sugar level.
This type of cancer is rare, accounting for approximately 3% of all cancer diagnoses in the United States. Although the exact cause of pancreatic cancer is unknown, certain factors like smoking and obesity can increase your risk.
Early detection of pancreatic cancer is challenging, and symptoms like fatigue, weakness, abdominal pain, jaundice, and unintentional weight loss usually only develop once the tumor has grown significantly or the cancer has spread (metastasized) outside of the pancreas. However, treatments like surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy can help shrink the tumor and improve symptoms.
Types of Pancreatic CancerThere are two main types of pancreatic cancer, based on the type of cell that the tumor develops in. The two main types are exocrine and neuroendocrine.
Exocrine Pancreatic CancerAbout 93% of pancreatic cancer cases begin in the exocrine cells. Exocrine cells in the pancreas produce enzymes that help digest food. Adenocarcinoma is the most common type of pancreatic tumor, accounting for about 95% of all pancreatic exocrine tumors. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma begins in exocrine cells that produce digestive enzymes and line the pancreatic ducts.
Other types of exocrine tumors are less common but include:
Acinar cell carcinomas
Undifferentiated carcinomas
Adenosquamous carcinomas
Squamous cell carcinomas
Signet ring cell carcinomas
Undifferentiated carcinomas with giant cells
Pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer develops when abnormal endocrine cells grow uncontrollably and form a tumor. Endocrine cells, also known as islet cells, produce hormones like insulin and glucagon, which help control blood sugar levels. Accounting for about 7% of all pancreatic tumors, the classification of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors depends on the type of hormone the tumor cells produce. Common types of neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer include:
Insulinoma: Forms in cells that produce insulin
Gastrinoma: Forms in cells that produce gastrin
Glucagonoma: Forms in cells that produce glucagon
Somatostatinoma: Forms in cells that produce somatostatin
VIPoma: Forms in cells that produce vasoactive intestinal peptides (VIPs)
ACTH-secreting: Forms in cells that produce adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)
Nonfunctional islet cell tumor: Forms in cells that do not produce hormones
In its early stages, pancreatic cancer usually causes no symptoms. As the cancer progresses and the tumor grows, symptoms can be vague and easily mistaken for other conditions that cause similar symptoms. When symptoms develop, the most common signs of pancreatic cancer include:
Fatigue
Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
Light-colored, floating, or oily stools with a foul odor
Dark-colored urine
Burning sensation in the stomach
Unexplained weight loss
Pain in the back, upper abdomen, or arms
Weakness
Loss of appetite
Nausea
Vomiting
Bloating
Chills
Sweating
Pancreatic cancer develops when healthy pancreas cells develop mutations (changes) in their DNA that cause them to grow uncontrollably and form tumors. Researchers don't fully understand what triggers mutations in pancreas cells that cause them to become cancerous.
About 10% of all pancreatic cancer cases are familial, meaning they develop in people who inherit genes from their parents that increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. Most gene mutations associated with pancreatic cancer are acquired, meaning the mutations develop at some point in a person's lifetime (as opposed to at birth).
Sometimes, acquired gene mutations occur due to exposure to cancer-causing chemicals (e.G., tobacco smoke) or lifestyle habits such as eating processed, high-fat foods and drinking alcohol. In other cases, what causes the acquired mutations is unknown.
Risk FactorsCertain risk factors can increase your likelihood of developing pancreatic cancer, including:
Age over 55
Being assigned male at birth
Smoking tobacco
Obesity
Eating a high-fat diet
Excess alcohol intake
History of diabetes or pancreatitis (pancreas inflammation)
Family history of pancreatic cancer
Inherited genetic syndromes, such as Lynch syndrome, Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, and familial atypical multiple mole melanoma syndrome
If you're experiencing symptoms of pancreatic cancer or may be at risk of the condition, it's important to seek medical care as soon as possible. Diagnosing pancreatic cancer involves a physical examination, medical history review, and diagnostic tests to confirm the presence, location, and stage of cancer.
During the physical examination, your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms and look for signs of pancreatic cancer, such as a swollen abdomen and jaundice. If your healthcare provider suspects you have pancreatic cancer, they will order diagnostic tests to confirm a diagnosis, such as:
Blood tests: These check liver function, biological markers for tumors, and overall blood count levels.
Imaging scans: Scans like a computed tomography (CT) scan or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan visualize tumors inside your body and identify the location, stage, and extent of pancreatic cancer.
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP): The provider inserts a small tube with a light and video camera attached to your body to determine the presence of a tumor or blockage.
Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC): The provider inserts a needle through your stomach and into a liver bile duct to take X-ray images of your pancreatic ducts to check for blockages or obtain a fluid or tissue sample for a biopsy.
Biopsy: Examining a tissue sample to check for the presence of cancer cells in your pancreas or pancreatic ducts.
If you receive a diagnosis for cancer, your healthcare team will determine what stage you're in. A cancer stage tells you the location of the tumor, whether it has spread, and how far. Healthcare providers use the TNM system to stage most pancreatic cancers.
Tumor (T): What is the size of the tumor and has it grown outside of the pancreas?
Node (N): Has pancreatic cancer spread to nearby lymph nodes, and if so, how many are affected?
Metastasis (M): Has the cancer spread (metastasized) into distant lymph nodes or other body organs, such as the liver, bones, or lungs?
Depending on your condition and symptoms, your healthcare team may diagnose you in one of the following stages:
Stage 0: The cancer is in situ, meaning the cancerous cells are limited to the duct where they started.
Stage 1A: The tumor is 2 centimeters (cm) or smaller and confined to the pancreas.
Stage 1B: The tumor is larger than 2 cm and is confined to the pancreas.
Stage 2A: The tumor is larger than 2 cm and is confined to the pancreas.
Stage 2B: A tumor of any size has spread to 1-3 nearby lymph nodes.
Stage 3: A tumor of any size has spread to four or more nearby lymph nodes or has spread to nearby veins and arteries but not other body parts.
Stage 4: A tumor of any size that has spread to distant body areas, such as the liver, lungs, bones, or peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity).
There are several treatment options for pancreatic cancer. Your healthcare team will work with you to develop a treatment plan based on the cancer stage you're in and your overall health and preferences. Your treatment plan may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy.
SurgerySurgery offers the best chance for remission (complete removal of pancreatic cancer cells) in people with resectable (removable) pancreatic cancer. Resectable pancreatic cancer means the cancer is confined to the pancreas and doesn't extend into nearby veins and arteries or elsewhere in the body. Surgeons use different types of surgical procedures based on the location of the tumor in the pancreas.
Pancreaticoduodenectomy: Also known as a Whipple procedure, this highly complex surgery involves removing all or part of the pancreas. Surgeons also remove nearby structures, including the gallbladder, lymph nodes, part of the bile duct, and sometimes part of the stomach. The surgeon attaches the remaining portion of the bile duct and pancreas to the small intestine, allowing digestive enzymes to enter the small intestine.
Distal pancreatectomy: Involves removing the pancreas tail, a part of the pancreas body, and sometimes the spleen.
Total pancreatectomy: Removes the entire pancreas, gallbladder, common bile duct, spleen, and part of the stomach and small intestine.
Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays or particles to target and destroy cancer cells. Your healthcare provider may recommend radiation therapy before surgery (neoadjuvant therapy) to shrink the tumor and make it easier to remove or after surgery (adjuvant therapy) to kill any remaining cancer cells.
For pancreatic cancer specifically, radiation therapy uses a machine that directs beams of radiation precisely at the tumor from outside the body. Most radiation therapy protocols involve five radiation treatments a week for several weeks. The process is painless, though you may experience side effects like fatigue, skin irritation in the treatment area (e.G., redness, blistering), diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, and loss of appetite.
ChemotherapyChemotherapy (also known as chemo) involves using powerful drugs to kill cancer cells throughout the body. This is a systemic treatment, meaning it treats cancer cells located anywhere in the body. Your healthcare provider may recommend chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer before or after surgery or in combination with radiation therapy to improve treatment effectiveness.
Depending on the chemo drugs your healthcare provider recommends, you may receive chemotherapy intravenously (IV) through a vein or oral (by mouth) pills. There are several chemotherapy regimens for treating pancreatic cancer. Most people receive two or more of the following chemo drugs:
Unfortunately, chemo doesn't come without side effects. Common chemotherapy side effects include nausea and vomiting, hair loss, fatigue, mouth sores, neuropathy (tingling and numbness in your fingers and toes), and an increased risk of infection.
Targeted TherapyTargeted therapy is a newer approach to treating pancreatic cancer that targets specific proteins, genes, and tissue environments involved in cancer cell growth and survival. If your healthcare provider recommends targeted therapy, they may first run testing to determine which genes, proteins, and other factors play a role in the pancreatic tumor to find the most effective therapy for you.
ImmunotherapyImmunotherapy uses drugs to help your immune system recognize and destroy cancer cells. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are immunotherapy drugs that target proteins that usually prevent the immune system from attacking healthy cells. By blocking these checkpoints, immunotherapy drugs allow immune cells to attack cancer cells.
Keytruda (pembrolizumab) is an immune checkpoint inhibitor for a specific subgroup of pancreatic cancers associated with a gene mutation called mismatch repair (MMR) or tumors with a high level of microsatellite instability (MSI-H).
How To Prevent Pancreatic CancerUnfortunately, there is no guaranteed way to prevent pancreatic cancer, but certain lifestyle habits can help lower your risk:
Avoid smoking
Eat a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
Limit your intake of processed, high-fat, or sugary foods
Avoid alcohol use
Get regular physical activity or exercise
Because of its impact on the production of your digestive enzymes and hormones, pancreatic cancer may cause one of the following complications:
Pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PEI): Pancreatic cancer can affect your pancreas' ability to secrete digestive enzymes for healthy digestion. PEI can cause malabsorption of vital nutrients (e.G., fat-soluble vitamins, amino or fatty acids), which may lead to weight loss and malnutrition.
Diabetes: Pancreatic cancer can damage insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, which may increase your risk of diabetes or worsen your condition if you already have diabetes. In some cases, adult-onset diabetes is an early sign of pancreatic cancer.
Metastasis: Because pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect in its early stages, many people do not receive a diagnosis until the cancer has spread (metastasized) to other surrounding tissues or distant body areas—such as the liver, lungs, and bones.
Pain: Severe abdominal and back pain is common in people with pancreatic cancer. As the tumor grows, it can press on nerves near the pancreas and cause significant pain.
Living with pancreatic cancer and dealing with treatment side effects can be difficult and overwhelming. Joining a support group with other people with pancreatic cancer can help you manage the emotional challenges that come with your diagnosis and connect with others facing similar challenges. It may also help to talk to your loved ones about what you're going through and ask them for support.
Pancreatic cancer is aggressive, but researchers are making significant advancements in treatment options, and research into new and more effective treatments is ongoing. While your cancer care team will work with you to develop a treatment plan, you may want to discuss participating in a clinical trial that offers promising new treatment options for some people with pancreatic cancer.
Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat is the life expectancy with pancreatic cancer?
Survival rates for pancreatic cancer vary depending on the stage of the cancer, your age, and overall health. The 5-year survival rate of people who receive a diagnosis before the cancer spreads is 44%. When the diagnosis occurs after the cancer has spread to surrounding tissues (e.G., lymph nodes), the survival rate is 15%.
Unfortunately, more than half of people with pancreatic cancer receive a diagnosis after the cancer spreads to distant areas (e.G., lungs) when the 5-year survival rate is 3%.
Is cancer of the pancreas curable?
Pancreatic cancer is curable if detected at an early stage when the tumor is confined to the pancreas and removable with surgery. Due to the lack of symptoms in the early stages, pancreatic cancer is unfortunately often diagnosed at later stages when a cure is less likely.
Is chemo worth it for pancreatic cancer?
The decision of whether chemotherapy is worth it for pancreatic cancer is a personal decision. Chemotherapy can help control cancer growth and improve your quality of life, but it also causes side effects. Discussing the risks and benefits of chemotherapy with your healthcare provider can help guide your decision.
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