Alcoholic hepatitis

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Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

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Illustration showing the liver, located above the stomach
The liver

Alcoholic hepatitis describes liver inflammation caused by drinking alcohol.

Though alcoholic hepatitis is most likely to occur in people who drink heavily over many years, the relationship between drinking and alcoholic hepatitis is complex. Not all heavy drinkers develop alcoholic hepatitis, and the disease can occur in people who drink only moderately.

If you're diagnosed with alcoholic hepatitis, you must stop drinking alcohol. People who continue to drink alcohol can go on to develop more serious liver damage in the form of cirrhosis and liver failure.

References
  1. O'Shea RS, et al. Alcoholic liver disease. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2010;105:14.
  2. Carithers RL, et al. Alcoholic liver disease. In: Feldman M, et al. Sleisinger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/linkTo?type=bookHome&isbn=978-1-4160-6189-2&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-6189-2..X0001-7--TOP&uniq=200844987-3. Accessed July 14, 2010.
  3. Alcohol-induced liver disease. American Liver Foundation. http://www.liverfoundation.org/abouttheliver/info/alcohol/. Accessed July 14, 2010.
  4. Hacker JF, et al. Alcoholic liver disease. American College of Gastroenterology. http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/cgp/cgpvol2.asp#Alcoholic%20Liver. Accessed July 14, 2010.
  5. Cirrhosis. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/cirrhosis/index.htm. Accessed July 14, 2010.
  6. Milk thistle. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed July 20, 2010.
  7. SAMe. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed July 20, 2010.
  8. Hepatitis C FAQs for the public. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/C/cFAQ.htm. Accessed July 20, 2010.
DS00785 Aug. 14, 2010

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